Dry fruits are divided into the following three groups.

1. Indehiscent fruits ( Achenial fruits)
2. Dehiscent fruits (Capsular fruits)
3. Schizocarpic fruits (Splitting)

1. Indehiscent or Achenial Fruits

• Achene :  These fruits develop from monocarpellary, unilocular one seeded fruit with superior ovary e.g., Clematis.
• Caryopsis: These fruits develop from monocarpellary, superior ovary. These fruits are uniocular and one-seeded. These fruits are present in Family Gramineae e.g., wheat, rice, maize.
• Cypsella : These fruits develop from bicarpellary, syncarpous, inferior ovary, basal placentation. Hairy calyx attached with the fruit is present in these fruit, which is known as pappus. e.g., sunflower, lagetes, cosmos, Taraxacum.
• Nut : These fruits are also unilocular and one seeded and these are developed from bi or multicarpellary syncarpous, superior ovary. Pericarp in these fruits becomes hard and tony e.g.,  Anacardium (Cashew nut), Litchi, Oak Trapa.
• Samara : Pericarp of these fruits becomes flat like wings. These are one seeded fruits.

2. Dehiscent Fruits (or capsular fruits)

These fruits can be divided into following five groups:

• Legume or  pods : These fruits develop from monocarpellary unilocular, marginal placentation, superior ovary. Fruit has two sutures, e.g., Pea, Bean etc.
• Follicle : These fruits have only one suture. In other characters these fruits are like the legume fruits. Larkspur, Calotropis, Michelia.
• Siliqua : This fruit develops from bicarpellary, syncarpous, superior ovary. Parietal placentation, ovary, in the beginning is unilocular but later due to development of false septum becomes bilocular. This type of fruit is the characterstic feature of family Cruciferae e.g., Brassica
• Sillicula : It resembles the silliqua but its breadth and length are equal, it is wide and flat e.g., Capsella(Shepherd’s purse).
• Capsule : These fruits develop from multicarpellary, syncarpous, superior ovary and sometimes from inferior ovary. e.g., Hibiscus esculentus ( Lady’s finger) Datura, Gossypium(Cotton), Papaver(Poppy) Argemore.

 

3. Schizocarpic or Splitting Fruit

                                    Classification of these fruits is as below :

• Lomentum : These are bisutural fruits which are constricted or divided in one seeded mericarps e.g. groundnut, acacia.
• Cremocarp : These fruits are bilocular and two-seeded and develop from bicarpellary, syncarpous, inferior ovary. Two mericarps are present, each mericarp ha one seed e.g., Coriander, Carrot etc.
• Carcerulus : These fruits develop from bicarpellary syncarpous superior ovary, Four one- seeded mericarps are present in family, Labiatae e.g., Ocimum.
• Regma : These fruits develop from multicarpellary pistil and on maturation (after splitting) these divide into as many parts as the number of carpels.

 

1. Succulent or Fleshy Fruits

• Drupe :  Epicarp of these fruits forms the skin of fruits. Mesocarp is fleshy or fibrous and endocarp is hard and stony e.g. Mango.
• Berry or Bacca : These fruits develop from mono or multicarpellary syncarpous ovary. Mesocarp is fleshy and endocarp is thin like banana, date palm.
• Hesperidium : It is a special berry. Ovary has axile placentation. These are multilocular, Mesocarp is in the form of while, fibrous part. Many unicellular juicy hairs are present on the inners side of endocarp. These are edile parts e.g. orange, lemon.
• Pepo : This type of fruits is specially found in family Cucurbitaceae e.g., bottle gourd, cucumber, muskmelon.
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