Accessory fruit

An accessory fruit is a structure that botanically is not a fruit, but that serves as such: i.e. it is attractive and good to eat.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In an accesory fruit, the fleshy part is derived not from the ovary (or surrounding stem, if the ovary is inferior) but from some adjacent tissue. Examples are the fig (the fleshy part is a hollow ball with the flowers inside), the strawberry (the fleshy part is a peg with the carpels on it), and the cashew apple (the fleshy part is the stem, but the ovary is superior).

Related Topics:
Ovary - Fig - Strawberry - Carpels - Cashew

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~