accessory fruit
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun A type of fruit where the fleshy, edible part is derived not only from the ovary of the flower but also from other adjacent tissues, such as the receptacle, calyx, or hypanthium. This contrasts with true fruits, where the edible part develops solely from the ripened ovary.
Examples
- Botanically, the apple is an accessory fruit because its core is the true fruit (from the ovary), while the sweet, fleshy part we eat comes from the flower's receptacle.
- The strawberry is a classic example of an accessory fruit; the tiny seeds on its surface are the true fruits (achenes), while the red, fleshy part is the enlarged receptacle.
- In a fig, the multiple tiny fruits are enclosed within a fleshy, stem-derived structure, making it an accessory fruit.
Advanced Usage
- The term accessory fruit is synonymous with false fruit or pseudocarp in botanical terminology. It is a key concept for distinguishing fruit types based on their developmental origin.
- Understanding accessory fruit is important in horticulture and plant taxonomy for accurate classification and breeding.
Variants and Related Words
- Pseudocarp (n): A technical synonym for accessory fruit.
- False fruit (n): A common, less technical synonym for accessory fruit.
- Pome (n): A specific type of accessory fruit where the core is from the ovary and the flesh is from the receptacle (e.g., apple, pear).
- Aggregate accessory fruit (n): A fruit like the strawberry, formed from a single flower with multiple ovaries, where the fleshy part is accessory tissue.
Synonyms
- False fruit
- Pseudocarp
Related Terms and Concepts
- Simple fruit: A fruit that develops from a single ovary of a single flower (e.g., peach, tomato).
- Aggregate fruit: A fruit that develops from multiple ovaries of a single flower (e.g., raspberry, where each tiny segment is from a separate ovary).
- Multiple fruit: A fruit that develops from the ovaries of many flowers growing in a cluster (e.g., pineapple, mulberry).
- Receptacle: The part of a flower stalk that bears the floral organs; it often becomes the fleshy part of an accessory fruit.
Noun
- fruit containing much fleshy tissue besides that of the ripened ovary; as apple or strawberry