Fruits Classification Quiz

Fruits

• A fruit is a ripened ovary containing seeds
• Fruits are classified according to ovary position, dry/fleshy nature, and simple/aggregate/multiple origins
• Superior ovary: ovary on top of the flower
• Inferior ovary: ovary under the flower
• Simple fruit: single ovary on a single flower
• Aggregate fruit: fusion of multiple ovaries on a single flower
• Multiple fruit: multiple ovaries and multiple flowers
• Rose family (Rosaceae):
  • Large family with showy flowers and fleshy fruits
• Eggplant (Solanum melongena):
  • Originated in India
  • Fruit varies in size and color, with white to deep purple
  • Commonly used in Indian and European cuisines
• Pumpkin family (Cucurbitaceae):
  • Includes vines with separate male and female flowers
  • Ovary develops into a pepo (modified berry)
  • Important food source for various civilizations
  • Cucurbita genus: Pumpkin, butternut squash, gourd, zucchini
  • Cucumis genus: Melon, cucumber
  • Citrullus genus: Watermelon
• Heath Family (Ericaceae):
  • Large family found worldwide, especially in north temperate regions
  • Woody shrubs thriving in acidic soils
  • Includes rhododendrons, heathers, and heaths
  • Vaccinium genus: Blueberry, bilberry, lingonberry, cranberry
• Passion fruit: Native to Brazil
• Guava: Common in Central America and Asia
• Cherimoya: Native to Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia
• Starfruit: Native to Southeast Asia
• Dragonfruit: Native to Southern Mexico
• Mangosteen: Tropical evergreen tree with edible fruit, native to Island Southeast Asia

Commercially important Monocots

• Pineapple (Ananas comosus):
  • Native to the Americas
  • Multiple fruit from fusion of 100-200 separate fruits
  • Grown commercially for dessert and protein-degrading enzyme
• Banana (Musa acuminata):
  • Native to Eastern Asia and northern Australia
  • Sterile triploid plants, propagated from stem cuttings
  • Seedless fruit, large inflorescences allow bunch harvesting
  • Harvested unripe and ripened with ethylene gas
  • Vulnerable to black sigatoka fungus
• Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera):
  • Indigenous to the Near East
  • Date fruit is rich in carbohydrates and protein
• Coconut (Cocos nucifera):
  • Native to South Pacific Islands
  • Large seed with hard endosperm (coconut meat)
  • Copra used for coconut oil and food flavoring
  • Coconut milk is also endosperm tissue
  • Serves various uses such as clothing, building materials, and drinking vessels

Commercially Important Dicots

• Durian (Durio zibethinus):
  • Native to western Malaysia
  • Large, prickly fruit with fleshy pulp (arils)
  • Known for pungent sulphurous aroma and complex taste
• Avocado (Persea americana):
  • Indigenous to Central America
  • Mesocarp rich in oil
  • High-calorie and nutritious, good source of vitamins A and C, niacin, and riboflavin
• Mango (Mangifera indica):
  • Native to India and Malaysia
  • Cultivated for at least 4000 years
  • Wide availability in North American supermarkets
  • Used in Asian and Indian cooking
• Papaya (Carica papaya):
  • Indigenous to Central America
  • Large, yellow fruit popular in tropical countries

Nuts

• Botanical Definition: Dry, one-seeded indehiscent fruits with a hard, woody pericarp
• Common Definition: Edible, high-protein mealy seeds
• Walnut (Juglans regia):
  • Indigenous to Southeast Europe and Western Asia
  • Drupe-like fruit with bitter-tasting mesocarp
  • "Nut" sold commercially is the endocarp (shell) containing the seed
• Pecan (Carya illinoinensis):
  • Indigenous to the southern United States and Mexico
  • Fruit splits open at maturity
  • "Nut" is the endocarp containing a single edible seed
• Almond (Prunus dulcis):
  • Native to Western Asia, member of the Rose family
  • Single-seeded drupe with bitter, inedible mesocarp
  • "Shell" (endocarp) is cracked open to extract the seed
• Hazelnut (Corylus avellana):
  • Native to Eurasia
  • Woody indehiscent pericarp with one seed, botanically a true nut
• Cashew (Anacardium occidentale):
  • Native to northeast Brazil
  • Seeds are roasted to remove irritant oil
  • "Cashew apple" is the swollen fruit stalk
• Pistachio (Pistacia vera):
  • Indigenous to central Asia, related to the cashew
  • Fleshy drupe-like fruit with woody endocarp
  • Endocarp splits open to reveal a single edible seed
• Brazil Nut (Bertholletia excelsa):
  • Enormous tree native to Amazonian rainforest
  • Large, woody capsule with 10-25 edible seeds
  • Important income source for indigenous peoples
• Macadamia Nut (Macadamia integrifolia):
  • Native to south-east Australia
  • Introduced to Hawaii in 1930, became an important commercial crop

Coconut Endosperm

• Copra is used to produce coconut oil, a common ingredient in chocolate and candies, and used as a food flavoring and dessert
• The liquid portion of coconut, coconut milk, is also endosperm tissue
• Coconuts are highly versatile and historically provided clothing, building materials, and drinking vessels for early South Sea islanders

Triploid Cultivars

• Triploid cultivars are propagated vegetatively, usually by grafting

Tomato Family

• The tomato was initially not accepted by parts of Europe because most species of the Tomato Family are poisonous, including henbane, deadly nightshade, and belladonna
• The tomato was once known as the "devil's food" in southern Europe
• The wild progenitor of the modern cultivated tomato was small (similar in size to a cherry tomato) and much more pungent than modern cultivars

Eggplant

• There is considerable variation in the size, shape, and color of eggplant fruit, with colors ranging from pure white to deep purple
• Eggplant is used commonly in India and parts of Europe, for example, in Greek mousaka
• The flesh of the eggplant is usually fried or baked

Macadamia Nut

• Macadamia trees are native to southeast Australia
• The round fruit splits at maturity to reveal a thick shell containing a single, white, waxy edible seed
• The macadamia tree was introduced to Hawaii in 1930 and became an important commercial crop
• While many consider the macadamia to be the tastiest of all gourmet nuts, they are highly toxic to dogs.

Commercially Important Monocot Fruit

• Pineapples are grown commercially as a dessert fruit and are the source of a natural protein-degrading enzyme
• Pineapple leaves are also a source of coarse plant fibers used to manufacture mats and sacks.

Test your knowledge on various types of fruits and their classifications. Learn about simple, aggregate, and multiple fruits, along with details about notable families like Rosaceae and Cucurbitaceae. This quiz will help reinforce your understanding of fruit structures and origins.