Transcript Slide 1
BIOLOGY – 328 LAB
Plants and People
Objective
To understand what a fruit is
To study different parts of fruit
To learn different types of fruits
Background
Different parts of a fruit
Exocarp – Outermost layer
Endocarp – Innermost layer
Mesocarp – Middle layer
Pericarp - All three layers not recognizable
Rind - Thick leathery covering exocarp (eg, water
melons) or fusion of exocarp and mesocarp (eg. Orange)
Accessory fruit – Fruits not derived from ovary
e.g. apple
Classification of fruits
Simple fruit – Fruit from a single flower and
single ovary
Aggregate fruit – Fruit from a single flower but
several ovaries eg. Blackberry, strawberry
Multiple fruit – Fruit from multiple flowers in the
same peduncle eg. Pineapple, Mulberry
Simple fruits
Dry dehiscent fruit – Pericarp dries and splits
open when ripe.
Follicle – 1 locule that splits along one suture
e.g. Sweet gum
Legume/pod – 1 locule and splits along 2 sutures
e.g. Beans
Capsule – 3 or more locules and splits in 3 or more
sutures
e.g. Okra
Simple fruits
Dry indehiscent fruit – Pericarp dries but does
not split when ripe
Samara – 1 or 2 seeded with pericarp flattened into
wings e.g. maple
Grain/Caryopsis – 1 seeded fruit with seed fused to
pericarp e.g. corn
Achene – 1 seeded fruit with seed free from pericarp
e.g. sunflower
Nut – 1 seeded fruit enclosed in husk
e.g. Pecan
Simple fruits
Fleshy fruit- Pericarp doesn't dry when ripe
Berry – entire pericarp is fleshy e.g. Grape
Pepo – Exocarp is a hard rind e.g. Melons
Hesperidium – Exocarp and mesocarp is a hard rind,
endocarp has juice vesicles e.g. Orange
Drupe or stone – a single seeded fruit fuzzy or smooth
skin, fleshy mesocarp and a hard stony endocarp
e.g. Peach
Pome – Fleshy receptacle, hypanthium with papery
pericarp e.g. Apple
Today’s Lab
Carefully examine the fruits, paying special attention to
their morphology, structure, family and scientific name,
and geographic origin. During the exercise, answer the
following questions for each fruit observed.
1. What is the fruit type?
2. How many carpels are present?
3. How might they might be dispersed in nature.
Summary
Today’s Lab
Types of fruits and characteristics
Next week’s lab – Major Families I
Quiz on Fruits