Pollination and Fruit of Angiosperms

Pollination syndrome

suite of floral traits associated with attracting different pollinators

Functions of Fruit

protection, dispersal and nutrition to seeds

Simple fruit

develops from a single carpel (or 2+fused) of one flower

EX: tomato

Aggregate fruit

derived from 1 flower that has separate carpels; each carpel develops into fruitlet

EX: blackberry

Multiple fruit

derived from multiple flowers in an inflorescence

EX: pineapple

Parthenocarpic

A fruit without seed

Pericarp

tissue of fruits derived from ovary wall; made of exo, endo and mesocarps

exocarp, mesocarp, endocarp

3 layers of pericarp

Exo=outer

Meso=middle

Endo=inner

Drupe

a fleshy fruit with thin skin and a central stone containing the 1 seed

EX: cherry, almond, olive

Berry

1+ seeds, fleshy pericarp; has specialties of pepo, hesperidium, pome

Pome

(specialized berry) fruit from receptacle of inferior ovary

EX: apples, pears

Hesperidium

(specialized berry) having a thick leathery rind

EX: citrus

Pepo

(specialized berry) thick, inseparable exocarp

EX: squash, cucumber

Dehiscent Dry Fruits

split at maturity

Follicle

(Dehiscent Dry Fruit) splits along 1 side, 1 carpel

EX: magnolia

Legume

(Dehiscent Dry Fruit) splits along 2 sides, 1 carpel

EX: peas

Silique

(Dehiscent Dry Fruit) splits along 2 sides with central partition, 2 carpels

EX: broccoli

Capsule

(Dehiscent Dry Fruit) from compound carpel, split in varied ways

EX: iris, cotton

Indehiscent Fruits

don't split at maturity

Achene

(Indehiscent Fruit) single seeded fruit from superior ovary

EX: sunflower

Cypsela

(Indehiscent Fruit) single seeded from inferior ovary

EX: dandelion

Nut

(Indehiscent Fruit) pericarp hard throughout

EX: acorn

Grain

(Indehiscent Fruit) pericarp inseparable from seed

EX: corn

Samara

(Indehiscent Fruit) pericarp creates wings

EX: maple

Schizocarp

(Indehiscent Fruit) twin fruits

EX: dill

Dry Aggregate fruits

1 flower, many pistils

EX: strawberry

Dry multiple fruits

multiple flowers fuse to form one fruit

EX: sweetgum