Question

Which of the following is a syconus fruit?
A. Apple
B. Banana
C. Orange
D. Fig

Answer 1

Hint: Syconus fruits are the sub category of multiple or composite fruits. These fruits formed from the entire fluorescence.

Complete answer:
The presence of fruit is an important characteristic of the angiosperms or the flowering plants. After fertilization the ripened or mature ovary is called fruit.
1. The fruit consists of two parts namely fruit wall and seed:
Fruit wall: Fruit wall or pericarp develops from the wall of the ovary. It can be dry or fleshy.
If the pericarp is thick then it divided into three layers:
> Epicarp (Outer cover)
> Mesocarp (Middle layer)
> Endocarp (Innermost layer)
2. Seeds develop from Ovules: In some plants ovary grows into fruit without fertilization, such fruits are called Parthenocarpic fruits (seedless fruits), e.g.,Banana, Grapes.
True fruit: The fruit developed from the ovary is called true fruit. Most of the fruits are true fruits.
False fruit: The fruit in which any other floral part takes part in fruit formation called true fruits (pseudocarp), e.g., Apple, Pear.
Fruits are of three categories:
Simple Fruits: Fruit developing from the syncarpous ovary of the single flower with or without accessory parts.
There are 2 types of simple fruits:
 A. Dry Fruits:
>Dry indehiscent fruits: They do not split or burst. Seeds are discharged by decomposition and destruction of pericarp. e.g. Wheat, Rice, Maize etc.
 > Dry dehiscent fruits: These types of fruits burst automatically and discharge their seeds. e.g. Legumes, Opium, Argemone, Linseed etc.
B. Succulent or Fleshy Fruits:
        > Drupe: In this type of fruits pericarp differentiated into epicarp, mesocarp, and hard endocarp. e.g., Mangifera indica (Mango) and Juglans regia (Walnut) etc.
        > Berry: Epicarp forms the outer skin. Middle thick and fleshy part is called mesocarp with a membrane like endocarp. e.g., Tomato, Grapes, Chillies etc.
        > Pepo: Epicarp forms outer skin. Mesocarp and Endocarp are fleshy and edible. The bitterness in some fruits are due to tetracyclic triterpenes. e.g. Cucumber, Watermelon etc.
        > Hesperidium: The epicarp and mesocarp forms skin of the fruit and endocarp forms a number of distinct chambers. e.g. Orange and all citrus fruits.
        > Balausta: Epicarp is tough and leathery. Endocarp is membranous and juicy testa of the seed is edible. e.g. Pomegranate
        > Amphisarca: The epicarp is hard and woody and mesocarp, endocarp and swollen placenta are fleshy and edible. e.g. Elephant apple.
2. Aggregate Fruits: These fruits formed from polycarpellary,, apocarpous ovary. Aggregate fruits are of following type:
An etaerio of achenes: Strawberry.
An etaerio of berries: Artabotrys.
An etaerio of follicles: Delphinium.
An etaerio of drupes: Raspberry.
3. Multiple and Composite fruits: These fruits develop from an entire fluorescence. These fruits are of two types:
Sorosis: These fruits develop from spike, spadix or catkin inflorescence. e.g. Jackfruit, mulberry etc.
Syconus: These fruits develop from hypanthodium inflorescence. e.g. Ficus species (Fig, Gular, Banyan).

So the correct answer is option D.

Note:
The syconus fruits are achenial in nature. Etaerio is an aggregate of simple fruits borne by an apocarpous ovary of a single flower.