Fruit (plant structure)

In some fruits, the edible portion is not derived from the ovary, but rather from the aril, such as the mangosteen or pomegranate, and the pineapple from which tissues of the flower and stem provide food.

The grains of grasses are single-seed simple fruits wherein the pericarp and seed coat are fused into one layer.

Aggregate fruits are formed from a single compound flower and contain many ovaries or fruitlets.

These include the sweet pea, soybean, alfalfa, milkweed, mustard, cabbage and poppy.

[3] Dry indehiscent fruit differ in that they do not have this mechanism and simply depend on physical forces.

This diversity arose through the selection of advantageous methods for seed protection and dispersal in different environments.

It has been found, however, that simple changes within developmental regulatory genes can cause large alterations within the anatomical structure of the fruit.

[3] Even without knowing the mechanism involved in the biodiversity of fruit, it is clear that this diversity is important to the continuation of plant populations.

In fleshy fruits, the pericarp is typically made up of three distinct layers: the outer epicarp, the middle mesocarp and the inner endocarp.

Flavedo is mostly composed of cellulosic material but also contains other components, such as essential oils, paraffin waxes, steroids and triterpenoids, fatty acids, pigments (carotenoids, chlorophylls, flavonoids), bitter principles (limonin), and enzymes.

This hormonally controlled progression in development is responsible for the fruit's change of color from green to yellow upon ripening.

The internal region of the flavedo is rich in multicellular bodies with spherical or pyriform shapes, which are full of essential oils.

In a hesperidium, the mesocarp is the inner part of the peel and is commonly removed before eating, as is found in citrus fruit.

It may be membranous as in citrus where it is the only part consumed, or thick and hard as in the pyrenas of drupe fruits of the family Rosaceae such as peaches, cherries, plums, and apricots.

In nuts, it is the stony layer that surrounds the kernel of pecans, walnuts, etc., and that is removed before consumption.

The grains of grasses are single-seed simple fruits wherein the pericarp (ovary wall) and seed coat are fused into one layer.

The dead pericarp of dry fruits represents an elaborated layer that is capable of storing active proteins and other substances for increasing survival rate of germinating seeds.