Accessory fruit

Accessory_fruit

• 

  Accessory fruit

• 

  Cross-section of a Red Delicious apple

• Strawberry with germinated achenes

• 

  Cashew apples

Accessory Fruit

An accessory fruit is a type of fruit in which some of the flesh is derived not from the ovary but from some adjacent tissue exterior to the carpel. In other words, accessory fruits are those in which some part of the fruit is formed from tissues other than the ovary. This is in contrast to a true fruit, which is formed solely from the ovary.

Formation

Accessory fruits form when the flower's receptacle or other floral parts develop into the fruit. This can occur in several ways, depending on the species of plant. The development of accessory fruits involves the participation of non-ovarian tissues, which contribute to the structure and sometimes the edible portion of the fruit.

Examples

Several common fruits are classified as accessory fruits:

• Apple: In apples, the fleshy part of the fruit is derived from the receptacle, while the core is the true fruit, containing the seeds.
• Strawberry: The fleshy part of a strawberry is derived from the receptacle, and the small "seeds" on the surface are the true fruits, known as achenes.
• Pineapple: Pineapples are multiple accessory fruits, where the fruit is formed from the fusion of the ovaries and the surrounding floral parts of multiple flowers.
• Fig: Figs are also multiple accessory fruits, where the fruit is formed from the fusion of multiple flowers and their surrounding tissues.

Comparison with True Fruits

True fruits are those that develop solely from the ovary of a flower and contain the seeds of the plant. In contrast, accessory fruits involve additional floral parts in their development. This distinction is important in botany for understanding the structure and classification of fruits.

Related Pages

• Fruit
• Ovary (botany)
• Receptacle (botany)
• Achene
• Multiple fruit