Types of Fruits

Fruit is a matured ovary and its contents. The function of a fruit is to spread seeds. Scientists often categorize fruits based on their structure and seed type rather than just on the number of ovaries.

The main types of fruits are drupes, pomes, berries, citrus fruits and pepo.

Drupes: are indehiscent fruits that has a hard pit with the seed inside fully surrounded by a soft, fleshy part. This is sometimes called a stone fruit, e.g. peaches, cherries, raspberries and blackberries.

Berries: are defined as fleshy fruits with many seeds inside and a covering on the outside that can be either soft or hard. They don’t have a stone or a pit. ‘True berry’ is classified as a fleshy fruit formed from the ovary of one flower with a seed or seeds embedded in the flesh. e.g. blueberries, gooseberries and cranberries.

Pome: is a type of fruit that has a fleshy area surrounding a core containing seeds. Some examples of fruits that are pomes, apples and pears.