Flower to Fruit-2

Basic Fruit Types

Simple Fruits are those derived from a

Single Carpel or Several United Carpels.

The Gynoecium contains One Entity.

Aggregate Fruits are those in which there is

One Gynoecium that contains

Many Free Carpels

Each Carpel Produces a "Fruitlet"

Multiple Fruits are formed by the Combined Gynoecia of Many Flowers

Dehiscent Fruits Open to release their seeds.

Indihiscent Fruits don't open.

Fleshy Fruits are soft and moist at maturity.

Dry Fruits are dry at maturity.

This seems fairly simple. However, the correct designation depends on how ripe the fruits are. A fruit may appear fleshy early in its maturation, and be bone dry at its completion. We harvest many dry fruits early in their maturation because they are better to eat or easier to eat at this stage. A Legume is a dry fruit but we eat Snow Peas and Green Beans when they are soft.