Question

In which plant the fruit is drupe, seed coat is thin, embryo is inconspicuous and endosperm is edible?
A. Groundnut
B. Apple
C. Wheat
D. Coconut

Answer 1

Hint: A fruit is simply defined as a seed-bearing structure in angiosperms. These are derived or formed from the ovary as soon as the plant flowers. Fruits are the edible part of plants and some develop from the ovary but not all fruits show such development. There are some types that develop from the other parts of the plant.

Complete answer:
Fruits are classified according to the type of arrangement and from which part they are derived.
- There are four types—simple, aggregate, multiple, and accessory fruits.
- These form from a single ovary of a single flower and they can be further fleshy or dry.
- Fleshy fruit includes berries(in which the entire pericarp is soft and pulpy) e.g., tomato, banana, and blueberry and the drupe, in which the outer layers are pulpy, fibrous, and the endocarp hardens into a pit enclosing one or more seeds e.g., the peach, coconut, and walnut.
- Dry fruits are divided into dehiscent fruits (those that split open to mature seed) and indehiscent fruits. Eg- Nuts and grains.
- An aggregate fruit consists of a mass of small drupes also known as drupelets, each of which developed from a separate ovary of a single flower. Eg- Blueberry.
- Multiple fruits develop from the ovaries of many flowers growing in a cluster. Eg- Pineapple. Accessory fruits are derived from other parts. The pome (e.g., apple and pear) is a widely known accessory fruit , in which the fleshy edible portion is swollen stem tissue and the true fruit is the central core.

Hence, the correct answer is option (D), because Coconut is a Drupe.

Additional information:
The term fruit applied to all edible plant products and specifically to the fleshy fruits, some of which are known as vegetables. e.g., eggplant, squashes, etc.
- Groundnut is an indehiscent fruit.
- Apple is a Pome.
- Wheat is a cereal grain and is a type of grass that is indehiscent fruit.

Note: Drupe are also called stone fruits because the endocarp in these fruits is hard. Epicarp is thin and hard while mesocarp contains hard fibers and it is thick, seed is protected in hard endocarp. In coconut, the endosperm is edible and the embryo is inconspicuous.