Page 52 - pharmacognosy2- pharmD- e-book

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 one 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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