The pericarp may be _fleshy and indehiscent_. A pulpy pericarp
with several or many seeds is a =berry= (Figs. 239, 240, 241). To
the horticulturist a berry is a small, soft, edible fruit, without
particular reference to its structure. The botanical and horticultural
conceptions of a berry are, therefore, unlike. In the botanical sense,
gooseberries, currants, grapes, tomatoes, potato-balls, and even
eggplant fruits and oranges (Fig. 241) are berries; strawberries,
raspberries, blackberries are not.
[Illustration: FIG. 242.--PLUM; example of a drupe.]
A fleshy pericarp containing one relatively large seed or stone is a
=drupe=. Examples are plum (Fig. 242), peach, cherry, apricot, olive.
The walls of the pit in the plum, peach, and cherry are formed from the
inner coats of the ovary, and the flesh from the outer coats. Drupes
are also known as _stone-fruits_.
[Illustration: FIG. 243.--FRUIT OF RASPBERRY.]
[Illustration: FIG. 244.--AGGREGATE FRUIT OF MULBERRY; and a separate
fruit.]
Fruits that are formed by the subsequent union of separate pistils are
=aggregate fruits=. The carpels in aggregate fruits are usually more or
less fleshy. In the raspberry and blackberry flower, the pistils are
essentially distinct, but as the pistils ripen they cohere and form one
body (Figs. 243, 244). Each of the carpels or pistils in the raspberry
and blackberry is a little drupe, or =drupelet=. In the raspberry the
entire fruit separates from the torus, leaving the torus on the plant.
In the blackberry and dewberry the fruit adheres to the torus, and the
two are removed together when the fruit is picked.
=Accessory Fruits.=--When the pericarp and some other part grow
together, the fruit is said to be =accessory= or =reënforced=. An
example is the strawberry (Fig. 245). The edible part is a greatly
_enlarged torus_, and the pericarps are akenes embedded in it. These
akenes are commonly called seeds.
[Illustration: FIG. 245.--STRAWBERRY; fleshy torus in which akenes are
embedded.]
Various kinds of reënforced fruits have received special names. One of
these is the =hip=, characteristic of roses. In this case, the torus is
deep and hollow, like an urn, and the separate akenes are borne inside
it. The mouth of the receptacle may close, and the walls sometimes
become fleshy; the fruit may then be mistaken for a berry. The fruit of
the pear, apple, and quince is known as a =pome=. In this case the five
united carpels are completely buried in the hollow torus, and the torus
makes most of the edible part of the ripe fruit, while the pistils are
represented by the core (Fig. 246). Observe the sepals on the top of
the torus (apex of the fruit) in Fig. 246. Note the outlines of the
embedded pericarp in Fig. 247.
[Illustration: FIG. 246.--SECTION OF AN APPLE.]
[Illustration: FIG. 247.--CROSS-SECTION OF AN APPLE.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account