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This is the most
common type of simple fruit
in which the entire ovary
wall ripens into a
fleshy
pericarp within a thin
covering; it is always formed from a
superior
ovary and derives
from either a single or compound (syncarpous)
pistil ( e.g., tomato, grape,) the
pulp may be more or less homogeneous,
or the outer part of the fruit may be
firm, hard, or leathery. A plant that bears berries is referred to as
bacciferous. Berries are usually
dispersed by animals that eat
them. The seeds pass through their bodies and are excreted.
In plant species with an
inferior ovary, the floral tube (hypanthium)
including the basal parts of the sepals,
petals, and
stamens) can
ripen along with the
ovary, creating an
accessory fruit called a
false berry.
(For example banana, cucumber, blueberry and the
fruits of
cacti like the
prickly pears) |
