FRUITS

FRUITS

Fruits
The fruit is the developed ripened ovary or
ovaries of a single flower. It may include
other parts of the same flower which are
also modified in nature adnate (attach) to
and ripen with the ovary. It may also
develop from the whole inflorescence.
It functions to protect the seeds and
ensure their distribution.

Fruits
Fruits are produced only by flowering
plants (angiosperms). Following pollination
of the flower, the fertilized ovules develop
into seeds while the surrounding ovary
wall forms the fruit tissue, or pericarp.
The placenta to which the
seeds are attached is also
included in the fruit and in
some types constitutes its bulk

The Pericarp
The pericarp consists of:
Epicarp (exocarp): outer layer
Mesocarp: middle tissue
Endocarp: inner most part
In a peach, the skin is the exocarp, the yellow flesh
is the mesocarp,
while the stone surrounding
the seed represents the
endocarp.

The Placenta
The placenta in fruits may be:
A small knob-like (as in one-seeded fruits).
Cord-like (as in follicles, legumes …etc.)
Membranous (as in poppy capsule).
Enlarged and sometimes filling the cavity
of the fruit, may be pithy in dry fruits (as in
datura & hyoscyamous) or fleshy as in
succulent fruits (as in belladonna &
tomato)

Fruits and Seeds
Small fruits (e.g. umbelliferous and those
of the family Graminae) must not be
confused with seeds.
While the testa of seeds shows only one
scar (hilum), The pericarp of fruits shows
two scars (one at the base and another at
the apical side).

Scars on the fruit
‣ Scar of the stalk at the base.
‣ Scar (s) of style, stigma or floral parts
‣ Superior fruits results from superior ovary and
inferior fruit results from inferior ovary.
Superior fruit
(Flax fruit)
Inferior fruit
( Coriander& all
Umbellifreous)

Classification of fruits
A- True: derived from the gynaecium only.
True fruits
B- False: from the gynaecium + other floral
parts.
Receptacle
False fruits

Classification of Fruits
Fruits
Simple
(e.g.Senna pods)
Aggregate
(e.g.Star anise)
Composite
(compound, multiple)
(e.g. Figs)

Classification of Fruits
Simple: formed of single or syncarpous ovary
( single flower) e.g. Senna pod, Fennel, Capsicum.
Aggregate: developed from apocarpous
gynaecium (single flower) e.g. Star Anise.
Composite: formed from the whole inflorescence
e.g. Figs, Strawberry, Long pepper.

Simple Fruits
According to the nature of the pericarp, fruits are
classified into:
Dry (dry pericarp)
Succulent (fleshy pericarp)
Succulent Fruits
‣ Drupe: the endocarp is hard and woody
‣ Berry: the endocarp neither hard nor lignified.

Special Types of Berries
Pepo:(e.g.Colocynth and banana)
The epicarp is either
hard or leathery.
Hesperidium:(e.g. Citrus fruits)
The epicarp is thin,
mesocarp is pithy.
endocarp membranous
developing juicy swellings
with separable rind.

Dry Fruits
I-Dehiscent: splits open when ripe.
II-Indehiscent: does not split open
when ripe.
III-Schizocarpic: bi- or multilocular-fruit,
splits into one-seed indehiscent parts.

I-Dehiscent Fruits
‣ Follicle: splits along one side only .
‣ Legume: splits along the two sides.

Dehiscent Fruits
‣ Siliqua: splits by two valves from base to
apex, and contains
false septa which is
outgrowth from placenta
(mustard fruit)
‣ Capsule: dehisces by various ways. eg:
(Cardamom and poppy fruit)

Capsules
Open by Septa (Valves):
Loculicidal:(e.g. cardamom)
Septicidal:(e.g. Linseed fruit)
Open by pores or holes (Porous):

II- Indehiscent Fruits
1-Achene: the pericarp membranous and free
from the testa i.e.not fused with it
(strawberry). Achenes are small
and grouped together.
2-Grain (caryopsis): the pericarp
and the testa are
fused (wheat)

Indehiscent Fruits
3-Cypsella: one-seeded derived from bicarpilary
unilocular inferior ovary (compositae)
4-Samara: winged one-seeded
fruit

Indehiscent Fruits
5-Nut: One-seeded with hard woody
pericarp.

III-Schizocarpic Fruits
1-Cremocarp: split longitudinally.
into two indehiscent mericarps
attached to each other with the
carpophore (e.g.umbelliferous fruits)
2-Lomentum: split transversely into
indehiscent parts and resulting from false
septa in legume or siliqua.
(e.g.some Leguminosae fruits,peanut)

Schizocarpic Fruits
3-Regma: split longitudinally into one seeded
parts equal to the number of carpels.
( castor fruit)
4-Double samara: two winged parts
( Sycamore fruit)

Aggregate Fruits
1)Achenes: grouped on swollen fleshy
receptacle.
(rasberry&
strawberry)
2)Follicles: grouped on dry receptacle ( star
anise).

Composite Fruits
(Compound,Collective or Multiple)
Fruit is composed of mature ovaries from
separate pistils from several flowers.
A pineapple is a multiple berries(soroses).
A fig is a special type of composite called
a syconium, in which pistillate flowers are
born on the inside of an enlarged, hollow
receptacle.

Characteristic Elements of
Powdered Fruits
Fruits usually contain seeds, so powdered fruits
are characterized by the following elements:
Elements of the pericarp:
- Epidermal cells with few stomata.
- Small vascular elements.
- Characteristic cells from either epi.,
meso. or endocarp( scelerenchyma or
parenchyma.
Elements of the seeds:
Endosperm with reserved food material and
elements of testa.

Important Medicinal Fruits
Ammi visnaga
Ammi majus
Fennel
Dill
Anise and star anise
Caraway
Coriander
Capsicum
Colocynth
Citrus fruits

Umbelliferous Fruit
It is classified as a simple, dry, schizocarpic
cremocarp fruit.
It consists of two mericarps attached from the
apical part by the carpophore
( elongation of receptacle between the carpels).
Another character is the presence of a stylopod
(type of nectaries) which is a swollen disc at the
base of the style of the carpel. Attached to the
stylopod are remains of the style and stigma.

Diagram of Umbelliferous Fruits

Fennel
Botanical Origin:
It the dried fruits of Foeniculum vulgare
(bitter fennel) or F. vulgare variety dulce
(Sweet fennel) family Umbelliferae.
Geographical Source:
India, China, Egypt and Europe.

Photo-image of Fennel

T.S. in the Mericarp of Fennel

Powdered Fennel
Key elements:
-Reticulate parenchyma.
-Endocarp with
parquetry arrangement.
-Endosperm containing
aleurone grains with
micro-rosettes of
calcium oxalate.
- Fragments of vittae
(brownish color)
containing volatile oil.

Active Constituents
Volatile oil:(1-4% in the bitter fennel & 2%
in sweet fennel), the main constituents of
which is anethole (60%) and
fenchone(30%).
Carminative
Therapeutic Uses
Aromatic flavoring

Secretory Tissues
External:
‣ Nectaries
‣ Glandular hairs(e.g. labiaceous hairs of Mentha)
Enternal:
‣ Secretory Cells (e.g.oil cells of Cinnamon and
Ginger)
‣ Secretory Glands:
Schizogenous,Lysigenous,Schizolysigenous
‣ Secretory Ducts ( tube-like structures secrete v.
o. e.g. Vittae in fruits of Umbelliferae)
‣ Laticiferous Vessels( tube-like secrete latex e.g.
in Papaver ).

Secretory Glands
Schizogenous
Lysigenous
Schizolysigenous