Fruits and Seeds 



253 



Very similar is the akene, a small dry fruit inclosing a single seed, 

 as in the buckwheat, buttercup, and sunflower. The pod, or 

 legume, is a dry fruit of one carpel which splits down the sides 

 when mature, freeing the several seeds, as in the bean, pea, 

 clover, peanut, and alfalfa. 



Among fleshy fruits the commonest is the drupe, or stone fruit, 

 illustrated by the plum, cherry, olive, and peach, in which a single 

 seed is surrounded by an inner stony layer and an outer fleshy 

 layer. The pome is a fleshy fruit in which the receptacle enlarges 

 and surrounds the pistil (core), which is composed of five carpels 

 each containing several seeds. Pomes include apples, pears, and 

 quinces. The fruits of tomatoes, potatoes, currants, grapes, cran- 

 berries, and blueberries are true berries having a fleshy wall inclos- 

 ing several seeds. The pepo, or gourd fruit, is exemplified by the 

 cucumber, watermelon, and cantaloupe. It is a greatly enlarged 

 and fleshy ovulary containing numerous seeds. 



There are many other kinds of fruit distinguished, but they are 

 too numerous to describe here. In the strawberry the fruit is the 

 greatly enlarged receptacle bearing numerous little akenes on its 

 surface. The rose fruit is similarly an enlarged cup-like recep- 



FiG. 161. Types of fruits: A, legume (pea); B, pome (apple); C, berry (tomato): 

 D, drupe, or stone fruit (peach) ; E, samara, or key fruit (maple) ; F, akene (sunflower) : 

 Ct aggregate fruit (blackberry), 



