The world of fruits is enormous and diversified. Fruits are usually classified into three groups namely SIMPLE FRUITS, AGGREGATE FRUITS and MULTIPLE or COMPOSITE FRUITS.
SIMPLE FRUITS:
Simple fruit is a fruit that develops from a single pistil. When a single fruit develops from a single ovary of a single flower, it is called simple fruit. The ovary may be superior or inferior.
Depending upon the nature of pericarp (outer and edible layer of fruits), simple fruits can further be separated into two types
(1) Fleshy fruits: Berry, Hesperidium, Pepo, Pome, etc.
and
(2) Dry fruits: Legume, Follicle, Siliqua, Capsule, Lomentum, Cremocarp, Achene, Caryopsis, Cypsela etc
AGGREGATE FRUITS:
An aggregate fruit develops from a single flower with more than one pistil with multicarpellary, apocarpous, superior ovaries thus consisting of a collection of simple fruits (fruitlets).
Examples include Custard apple, Raspberry, Blackberry, and Strawberry.
MULTIPLE or COMPOSITE FRUITS.
Multiple fruits develop from the flowers of a whole inflorescence.
This type of fruit is formed by all the flowers of a whole inflorescence grouped together to give a single big fruit. We may see each flower has its own receptacle, however when the flower mature separately into fruitlets, they develop together to form a single mass to form a bigger fruit.
In a sense, multiple fruits are false fruits.
Examples of multiple fruits include: Pineapple, Mulberry, Breadfruit, Osage Orange, figs
