Accessory fruit
An accessory fruit is a fruit in which some of the flesh is derived not from the floral ovary but from some adjacent tissue exterior to the carpel.[1] Accessory fruits are usually indehiscent.[2]
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Terminology
Alternative terms for accessory fruit are false fruit, spurious fruit, pseudofruit, or pseudocarp. These are older terms for accessory fruit that have been criticized as "inapt",[1] and are not used by some botanists today.
Examples
The following are examples of accessory fruits listed by the plant organ from which the accessory tissue is derived:[3]
- Hypanthium-derived: pomes (e.g. apple and pear)
- Perianth-derived: anthocarps of the Nyctaginaceae
- Receptacle-derived: fig, mulberry, pineapple, and strawberry
- Calyx-derived: Gaultheria procumbens and Syzygium jambos
Fruit with fleshy seeds, such as pomegranate or mamoncillo, are not considered to be accessory fruits.[4]
Uses
Accessory fruits have been consumed as a valuable food source since the prior to the beginning of agriculture.
History
In the East, oriental pears were thought to have anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties.[5] The health benefits of apples were so highly regarded in England during the Middle Ages that it provided the basis of the common proverb "An apple a day keeps the doctor away".[5] During World War II, the British Government encouraged the cultivation of blackcurrants as these fruits were a reliable source of vitamin C and could survive in the UK climate.[5] Northern Europe herbalists of the 16th century believed Ribes berries possessed medicinal properties and could be used in the treatment of severe ailments, such as typhoid fever, bladder stones, liver disorders, and infections.[5] Nicholas Myrepsur, a 13th Century Greek doctor, authored a book of botanical medicines where he documented the medicinal properties of strawberries, as well as how they can be used to treat illnesses. [5]
Research
Current research has proposed that a single class of genes may be responsible for regulating accessory fruit formation and ripening.[6] A study using strawberries concluded that hormone signaling pathways involving gibberellic acid and auxin affect gene expression, and contribute to the initiation of accessory fruit development.[7] Metabolic modifications in different developing accessory fruit tissues are due to the varied distributions of compounds such as triterpenoids and steroids.[8]
See also
References
- Esau, K. 1977. Anatomy of seed plants. John Wiley and Sons, New York.
- "Glossary Details - The William & Lynda Steere Herbarium". sweetgum.nybg.org. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
- Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary entries for syconium, accessory fruit, core, and strawberry, Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2006
- Holland, D.; Hatib, K.; Bar-Ya'akov, I. (2009), "Pomegranate: Botany, Horticulture, Breeding", Horticultural Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp. 127–191, doi:10.1002/9780470593776.ch2, ISBN 978-0-470-59377-6, retrieved 2021-11-28
- Terry, Leon (2011). Health-Promoting Properties of Fruits and Vegetables. CABI. p. 196.
- Ireland, Hilary; Yao, Jia-Long; Tomes, Sumathi; Sutherland, Paul; Nieuwenhuizen, Niels; Gunaseelan, Kularajathevan; Winz, Robert; David, Karine; Schaffer, Robert (13 December 2012). "Apple SEPALLATA1/2-like genes control fruit flesh development and ripening". The Plant Journal. 73 (6): 1004–1056. doi:10.1111/tpj.12094.
- Zhou, Junhui; Sittmann, John; Guo, Lei; Xiao, Yuwei; Huang, Xiaolong; Pulapaka, Anuhya; Liu, Zhongchi (March 2021). "Gibberellin and auxin signaling genes RGA1 and ARF8 repress accessory fruit initiation in diploid strawberry". Plant Physiology. 185 (3): 1059–1075. doi:10.1093/plphys/kiaa087.
- Dashbaldan, Soyol; Rogowska, Agata; Pączkowski, Cezary; Szakiel, Anna (25 August 2021). "Distribution of Triterpenoids and Steroids in Developing Rugosa Rose (Rosarugosa Thunb.) Accessory Fruit". Molecules. 26 (17): 5158. doi:10.3390/molecules26175158.