Epigynous berry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The blueberry and its cousins each carry the sepals of their flower at the tip, showing that the berry forms below that flower.
An epigynous berry or false berry is an accessory fruit found in certain plant species with an inferior ovary, distinguishing it from a true berry. In these species other parts of the flower (including the basal parts of the sepals, petals, and stamens) can ripen along with the ovary, forming the false berry. The fruit of Cucurbitaceae is a false berry called a pepo.
Examples of plants which produce false berries include:
- Banana
- family Cucurbitaceae
- Cucumis, such as cucumber and canteloupe
- Watermelon
- Cucurbita (gourds), such as squash and pumpkin
- Blueberry
- Cranberry
| Botanical parlance | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| True berry | Epigynous berry | Accessory fruits | Aggregate fruits | ||
| Common parlance | Berry | grape, gooseberry, blackcurrant, redcurrant | blueberry, cranberry | strawberry | blackberry, raspberry, boysenberry |
| Other | tomato, persimmon, eggplant, chili pepper | banana, cucumber, avocado, squash, pumpkin, melon, watermelon, lingonberry | apple, peach, green bean, sunflower seed, guava | ||
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