Aggregate fruit

Aggregate fruit is a type of fruit that develops from the merging of several ovaries that were separate in a single flower. This is in contrast to simple fruits, which develop from a single ovary. The most common example of an aggregate fruit is the strawberry.

Development

The development of an aggregate fruit begins with the flower. In a flower, the ovaries are separate but are located in the same flower. After pollination, each ovary develops into a small fruit. These small fruits are clustered together to form what appears to be a single fruit, hence the term "aggregate".

Examples

Examples of aggregate fruits include the strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry. In the case of the strawberry, the part that is often thought of as the fruit is actually an enlarged receptacle that holds the ovaries, each of which develops into a small, seed-like fruit.

Classification

Aggregate fruits are classified under the category of multiple fruits, which also includes syconium and pineapple. However, aggregate fruits are distinct in that they form from a single flower.

See also

• Fruit
• Multiple fruit
• Simple fruit
• Berry