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Medicinal Fruits

The fruit is the mature structure developed from fertilized ripened ovary or ovaries of a
flower. Its function is to protect, nourish and insure the distribution of the seed.

• A true fruit: The body of the fruit is formed from the ovary (gynaecium) wall.
• False fruit: The fruit wall or the body of the fruit is formed of from any part of the

flower with the ovary. (ex. Apple, Pear, etc..).
• Simple fruit: It is developed from single flower with syncarpous ovary (united

carpels).
• Aggregate fruit: It is developed from single flower with apocarpous ovary (free

carpels).
• Composite fruit: It is developed from the whole inflorescence.

Macroscopical Characters:

The fruit shows 2 Scars:

1- Apical scar: Marking the remains of the style and stigma.

2- Basal scar: Marking the attachment of the stalk.

The surface of the fruit may be: smooth, glabrous (Caraway), pubescent (Anise), granular
(Citrus), spiny (Stramonium), striated (Senna) or ridged (Fennel). It may show reticulations
(Pepper) or wrinkled as a result of drying.

The sutures may be well marked as one line (dorsal side) or as two lines (ventral side).

• Simple fruits are divided into: Dry and Succulent.

A. Dry Fruits: in which the pericarp is dry (hard, leathery, etc.) They

are divided into: Dehiscent, Indehiscent and Schizocarpic.

1- Dehiscent Fruits: On ripening the pericarp splits along one or more slit to free the
enclosed seeds. They are formed of on e or more carpels and usually many seeds. They
include.

a. Legume (Pod): It is formed from one carpel, superior ovary, dehiscing from both
ventral and dorsal sutures e.g. Senna.

b. Follicle: As legume but dehiscing from ventral suture only and commonly found in
groups e.g. Star anise.

c. Capsule: It is formed from 2 or many carpels, superior or inferior, dehiscing in
various ways.

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