Aggregate fruit

Definition

An aggregate fruit forms from the merger of several ovaries that were separate in a single flower. They are derived from multiple carpels of one flower and develop into a cluster of smaller fruits joined together.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Aggregate fruits develop from a single flower with multiple pistils.
2. Examples include strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
3. Each small unit of an aggregate fruit is called a drupelet or carpel.
4. Pollination and fertilization occur separately in each ovary that makes up the aggregate fruit.
5. The development process involves multiple ovaries fusing together, not just the expansion of one ovary.

Review Questions

• What is the origin of an aggregate fruit?
• Name three examples of aggregate fruits.
• How do pollination and fertilization occur in the formation of an aggregate fruit?

Related terms

Simple Fruit: A fruit that develops from a single ovary of one flower.

Multiple Fruit: A fruit formed from the ovaries of multiple flowers growing in a cluster.

Drupelet: A small individual unit found within an aggregate fruit, each containing its own seed.