Types of fruits and their edible parts

Here is a brief description of “Types of Fruits and Their Edible Parts”. Several questions arise from this topic in various competitive exams, such as whether apples are real or false fruit. What are the edible parts of litchi? What is the name of the structural part of the fruit?

Introduction

• Fruits are nutritious and tasty seed-bearing edible structures found in flowering plants.

• Fruits are how flowering plants (angiosperms) disperse their seeds.

Structure of the Fruit

• Fruit is a mature or ripened ovary, which develops after fertilization.

• The fruit consists of a wall or pericarp and seeds.

• Seed surrounded by pericarp. The pericarp may be dry or fleshy.

• When the thick and fleshy pericarp is differentiated into outer epicarp, middle mesocarp, and inner endocarp.

Seedless Fruits

• Seedlessness is an important characteristic of some fruits of commercial importance.

• Bananas and pineapples are examples of seedless fruits.

• Seedlessness is the result of parthenocarpy.

• If a fruit is formed without fertilisation of the ovary, it is called a parthenocarpic fruit.

• Nowadays induced parthenocarpy is applied for the commercial production of various fruits (eg seedless watermelon).

How do you remember the Endocarp, Mesocarp, and Exocarp?

This is very easy to remember. Check out the tricks below

♦ Exocarp – EX (First 2 Letters) – Exit (Outer Cover)

♦ Mesocarp – M (First letter ) – Middle (In Between Exocarp and Endocarp)

♦ Endocarp – EN (First 2 Letters) – Enter (Inner Side)

Types of Fruits

Based on the fertilization of the flowers, fruit is classified as True Fruits and False Fruits.

• True Fruits: Fruit forms in the flower’s ovary through fertilization. E.g. Strawberry.

• False Fruits: Fruits derived from floral parts other than the ovary. such as calyx, thalamus, corolla, etc. E.g. pear, apple, etc.

Further, In terms of verities and diversities, fruits are classified as Simple, Aggregate, and Multiple.

• Simple fruit: Simple fruits are either fleshy (such as gooseberry, tomato, etc.) or dry (such as coconut, walnut, etc.)

• Aggregate fruit: Fruit that develops from merging several ovaries separated in a single flower. E.g. Raspberry.

• Multiple fruit or collective fruits: It is formed from a cluster of flowers (known as inflorescence). Each flower in the inflorescence produces a fruit, but they mature into a single mass. e.g. Pineapple, Mulberry, etc.

Fruits and their Edible Parts

Simple Fruits

Sl.No	Simple Fruits	Scientific Name	Type	Edible Parts
1	Watermelon	Luffa aegyptiaca	Pepo	Mesocarp and endocarp
2	Sweet orange	Punica granatum	Pepo	Endocarpic juicy hair
3	Muskmelon	Cucumis melo	Pepo	Mesocarp and endocarp
4	Bottle gourd	Lagenaria siceraria	Pepo	Mesocarp and endocarp
5	Long Melon	Citrus sinensis	Pepo	Entire fruit
6	Smooth Gourd	Cucumis sativus	Pepo	Mesocarp and endocarp
7	Wheat	Triticum aestivum	Cryopis	Endosperm and Embryo
8	Maize	Zea mays	Cryopis	Endosperm and Embryo
9	Rice	Oryza sativa	Cryopis	Endosperm and Embryo
10	Strawberry	Fragaria ananassa	Etaerio of achenes	Fleshy Thalamus and Seeds
11	Lotus	Nelumbo nucifera	Etaerio of achenes	Fleshy Thalamus and Seeds
12	Jack Fruit	Artocarpus heterophyllus	Sorosis	Fleshy axis, bracts, perianth and seeds
13	Tomato	Solanum lycopersicum	Berry	Pericarp & Placenta
14	Litchi	Litchi chinensis	Nut	Fleshy aril
15	Banana	Musa paradisiaca	Berry	Mesocarp & Endocarp
16	Brinjal	Solanum melongena	Berry	Pericarp and Placenta
17	Coconut	Cocos nucifera	Drupe	Endosperm, Testa, Cotyeldon and embryo
18	Almond	Prunus dulcis	Drupe	Seeds
19	Cashew nut	Anacardium occidentale	Nut	Cotyledons and fleshy pedicel
20	Water chestnut	Eleocharis dulcis	Nut	Cotyledons and aril
21	Bean	Phaseolus vulgaris	Legume	Seeds on ripening
22	Pea	Pisum sativum	Legume	Seeds on ripening
23	Tamarind	Tamarindus indica	Lomentum	Mesocarp
24	Lady’s finger	Abelmoschus esculentus	Capsule	Pericarp and seeds (entire fruit)
25	Groundnut	Arachis hypogaea	Lomentum	Seed
26	Mango	Mangifera indica	Drupe	Fleshy Mesocarp
27	Walnut	Juglans regia	Drupe	Cotyledons

Aggregate fruits

Sl.No	Fruits	Scientific Name	Type	Edible Parts
1	Strawberry	Fragaria ananassa	Etaerio of achenes	Fleshy Thalamus and Seeds
2	Lotus	Nelumbo nucifera	Etaerio of achenes	Thalamus and Seeds
3	Raspberry	Rubus idaeus	Etaerio of drupes	Thalamus
4	Custard apple	Anona squamosa	Etaerio of berries	Mesocarp

Composite fruits

Sl. No	Fruits	Scientific Name	Type	Edible Parts
1	Pine Apple	Ananas sativus	Sorosis	Peduncle, bracts, perianth
2	Jack Fruit	Artocarpus heterophyllus	Sorosis	Fleshy axis, bracts, perianth and seeds
3	Mulberry	Morus alba	Sorosis	Fleshy axis and Succulent perianth
4	Fig	Ficus carica	Syconus	Peduncle and Seeds

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)