Botany Fruits and Seeds

• Fruits are a characteristic of flowering plants and are the result of pollination and fertilization.
• Fruits can be fleshy or dry and their main purpose is to protect the seeds during development.
• Fruits are often colorful and emanate a delectable odor, attracting birds and other animals to eat seeds and dispersing them to other areas for generating new plants.
• Fruit consistency can be dry and dehiscent, like a legume or pod, or dry and indehiscent, like an achene.
• Fruit classification also includes pericarp fleshy, which is the ripened ovary of the flower.
• Factors affecting Germination include Maturity of embryo, Presence or absence of chemical inhibitors, Oxygen, Water, Temperature, and Light.
• Pharmaceutical Use of Fruits includes Angelica ( Angelica archangelica ), Buckthorn ( Rhamnus catharticus), Cranberry ( Vaccinium oxycoccum), Cubebs ( Piper cubeba), Mangosteen ( Garcinia mangostana), Pineapple ( Ananas comosus ), Anise ( Pimpinella anisum), Velvet bean ( Mucuna spp.), Strophanthus ( Strophanthus spp.), Strychnine plant (Strychnos nox-vomica), Pumpkin ( Cucurbita pepo), and Oats ( Avena sativa).
• Pharmaceutical Use of Seeds includes Anise ( Pimpinella anisum), Velvet bean ( Mucuna spp.), Strophanthus ( Strophanthus spp.), Strychnine plant (Strychnos nox-vomica), Pumpkin ( Cucurbita pepo), and Oats ( Avena sativa).
• Examples of Hesperidium fruits include Orange, Dalandan, and Calamansi.
• Drupe is a type of fruit with one seed, usually with a thin exocarp, fleshy mesocarp, and hard endocarp.
• Examples of Drupe fruits include Coconut, Mango, and Avocado.
• Examples of fruits with a pericarp include Eggplant, Tomato, and Grapes.
• Based on consistency, Hesperidium fruits are classified as berries.
• Examples of Pome fruits include Apple and Pear.
• Pepo is a berry-like fruit with hard exocarp while the fleshy part of the fruit is primarily mesocarp and endocarp.
• Examples of Pepo fruits include Watermelon and Cucumber.
• Pome fruits have a thin, papery exocarp and are derived from an inferior ovary, with the fleshy part being the enlarged floral tube and the core coming from the ovary.
• Hesperidium is a type of berry with a thick, leathery exocarp and with thick juicy mesocarp.
• Java plum (Syzygium cumini) is used in traditional medicine to counter excessive thirst and excretion of sugar in the urine, characteristic of diabetics.
• Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is known for its seed oil, which has antibiotic properties and is used in treatment of cold.
• Chia (Salvia columbariae) is known for its seeds, which contain a caffeine-like principle that enabled Native Americans to perform unusual feats of endurance; seed paste used in eye irritation by foreign matter.
• Celery (Apium graveolens) is known for its seed, which contains an essential oil that acts like an antioxidant that fights free radicals that attack joints; oil believed to have sedative properties.
• Borage (Borago officinalis) is known for its oil, which contains gamma linoleic acid (GLA) and other oils beneficial in human nutrition.
• Cola (Cola nitida, Cacuminate) is known for its seeds, which contain up to 3.5% caffeine and 1% theobromine, which may lessen fatigue.
• Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) is known for its seed extract, which functions as a bronchodilator.
• Chocolate (Theobroma cacao) is known for its seed extracts, which are a good source of L-arginine and magnesium and are believed (when combined with other chocolate constituents) to elevate serotonin levels; chocolate also contains theobromin (somewhat similar to caffeine in action) and phenylethylene, which are believed to produce sustained elevation of mood.
• Chaulmoogra (Hydnocarpus spp.) is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of skin diseases such as eczema, psoriasis, and leprosy.
• Black currant (Ribes nigrum) is used in traditional medicine to improve suppleness of skin and to reduce skin dryness.
• Examples of animal dispersal include dandelion and maple.
• Water dispersal is a method used by the coconut seed, which is well adapted for ocean dispersal.
• Germination includes the emergence of the radicle, the beginning or resumption of growth of a seed, and it depends on the interplay of a number of internal and external factors.
• Fruit and seed dispersal can be by wind, water, or animals.
• Main modes of seed dispersal include self dispersal, ballistic dispersal, gravity, water, and animal dispersal.
• Some seeds have Velcro-like hooks that cling to animal fur, an example of animal dispersal.
• Bees, beetles, bats, birds, butterflies, etc. are examples of animals that disperse pollen.
• The emergence and development from the seed embryo of those structures which indicate the ability to produce a normal plant is part of germination.
• Dispersal by animals is common for fleshy fruits, examples include dandelion and maple.
• Epigeal germination is when seeds emerge out of the soil or above the soil, this type of germination is present in groundnut, bean, cotton, sunflower, and cotton seeds.
• Dispersal by wind is common for seeds that are small and lightweight, examples include samaras and plumes.
• The process by which a dormant seed begins to sprout and grow into a seedling under the right growing conditions is germination.