Types of Fruit








The dry fruits




Achene:        A non splitting fruit that contains one seed closely surrounded by a membranous case (i.e., sycamore seeds, sunflower seeds, Burdock).


Grain:        Similar to an achene, but the casing, or pericarp, is completely fused with its one seed (i.e., grasses, corn).


Capsule:        A dry fruit, usually with many seeds in one or more cavities. The fruit splits open when mature (i.e., Witch Hazel).


Legume:        A capsule that splits down both sides, or seams (i.e., garden peas, Black Locust).


Nut:         A hard, usually one-seeded fruit that does not split open (i.e., walnuts, hickories, beech, chestnut).


Nutlet:        A small nut (i.e.), Hop Hornbeam, Ironwood).


Acorn:        The nut of an oak tree. Usually partially or wholly surrounded by a hard woody cap.


Samara:        A non-splitting winged fruit (i.e., maples, ashes, elms, Ailanthus).









The Fleshy Fruits




Berry:        A pulpy fruit with immersed seeds (i.e., grapes, currants, blueberries).


Drupe:        A one-seeded fruit with a fleshy outer wall and a hard bony inner wall (i.e., Cherries, dogwoods, viburnums, sumacs, hackberries).


Drupelet:        A tiny drupe which often occurs in clusters called aggregate fruits (i.e., raspberries, blackberries, dewberries).


Pome:        A fleshy fruit with a central core containing several seeds (i.e., Apple, rose, crabapple, hawthorn)


Syncap:        A fleshy aggregate fruit (i.e., Osage Orange).


The purpose of most fleshy fruits is to entice animals to eat them, and by doing so, aid in the dispersal of the seeds the fruits contain.


References:


Dowden, Anne Ophelia.  From Fruit to Flower.  Thomas Y. Crowell, New York, NY., 1984.


Kress, Stephen W.  The Audubon Society Guide to Attracting Birds.  Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, NY, 1985.


Kricher, John C.  The Field Guide to Eastern Forests.  Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA, 1988






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