FRUITS AND SEEDS 



109 



inside stony part or core. Owing to the great variation in the 

 character of fruits on different species of plants, it is very diffi- 

 cult to make a scientific classification. But for the convenience 

 of study they can be classified as follows : 



f Simple 



C Drupe (Stone fruits) j Aggregate 

 [Multiple 



Fruit 



Dry 



[Berry 

 Dehiscent 



Indehiscent 



Pod or Capsule 



Follicle 



Legume 



Silique 



Pyxidium or Pyxis 



(Achene or Akene 

 Caryopsis 

 Samara or Key 

 Nut 



The simple drupe or stone fruit has the seed surrounded by 

 a hard stony structure (endocarp), which is in turn surrounded 

 by the fleshy part (mesocarp), which is in turn surrounded by 

 the epidermal covering (exocarp). The peach, plum and cherry 

 are typical examples of simple drupes (Fig. 79, a-)* Each fruit 

 is derived from a single or simple ovary of an individual flower. 

 The other types of drupes are modifications of the simple drupe, 

 and the differences are superficial rather than real. They are : 

 (a) the" aggregate drupaceous fruit, which consists of a number 

 of ripened fleshy ovaries, all of which are derived from a single 

 flower. These individual, mature ovaries are usually clustered 

 on a torus, but are not otherwise different from the simple drupe. 

 The blackberry and raspberry are good illustrations of this fruit 

 (Fig. 79, &). (fr) The multiple fruit also consists of a number 

 of mature, small and compact ovaries, but each ovary is derived 

 from a single flower (Fig. 79, c). This type of fruit is well 

 illustrated by the mulberry. 



