Question

Is an apple a composite fruit?

Answer 1

Fruit :

1. It is defined as the mature ripened ovary of a flowering plant enclosing the seeds or seed.
2. They are a great source of vitamins, fibers, and anti-oxidants.

Types of fruits :

Based on the number of ovaries and number of flowers participating in fruit formation, fruits can be differentiated into three categories-

1. Simple fruits
2. Aggregate fruits
3. Composite fruits

Simple fruits :

Develop from the single matured ovary in a single flower. Some of the examples are apple, banana, cherry, and tomato.

Simple fruits can be of the following types:

1. Drupes- stone fruit as it contains hard enclosed seeds like plum and cherry.
2. Berries- these are juicy with a single central seed like blueberries.
3. Pomes- fruits that directly bloom from trees like apples and bananas.
4. Hesperidium and pepos- fleshy watery fruits like watermelon and citrus fruits.

Aggregate fruits:

1. Develop from several matured ovaries formed in a singular flower.
2. Singular ovaries are called fruitless. These include strawberries, blackberries, etc.

Composite fruits :

1. Develop from the whole inflorescence and therefore called multiple fruits.
2. These may be sorosis type in which fruits develop from catkin, spikes, and spadix type of inflorescences like mulberry and pineapple
3. These may also be of the syconus type in which fruits develop from hypanthium type of inflorescence like fig.

So, apple is a simple fruit.