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{{otheruses}}

[[Image:2004fruit & vegetable.PNG|thumb|right|Fruit and [[vegetable]] output in 2004]]
The term '''fruit''' has different meanings dependent on context, and the term is not synonymous in [[food]] preparation and [[biology]]. In [[botany]], which is the [[scientific]] study of plants, fruits are the [[ripen]]ed [[Ovary (plants)|ovaries]] of [[flowering plant]]s. In many plant [[species]], the fruit includes the ripened ovary and surrounding tissues. Fruits are the means by which flowering [[plant]]s disseminate seeds, and the presence of seeds indicates that a structure is most likely a fruit, though not all seeds come from fruits.<ref name=Lewis375>{{cite book |last= Lewis |first= Robert A. |title=CRC Dictionary of Agricultural Sciences |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0849323274&id=TwRUZK0WTWAC&pg=PA375&lpg=PA375&dq=fruit&sig=qv05UIJxg5T_NmacdW8YixDnDAo |date= [[January 1]] [[2002]] |publisher= [[CRC Press]]|id= ISBN 0-8493-2327-4|pages=pp. 375-376}}</ref> No single terminology really fits the enormous variety that is found among plant fruits.<ref>{{cite book |last= Schlegel |first=Rolf H J |title= Encyclopedic Dictionary of Plant Breeding and Related Subjects |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN1560229500&id=7J-3fD67RqwC&pg=PA177&lpg=PA177&vq=fruit&dq=acarpous&sig=LUVMFeCyejNiIUKgcwnMLl32wGs|date= [[January 1]] [[2003]] |publisher=Haworth Press |id=ISBN 1-56022-950-0 |pages=p. 177}}</ref> The term 'false fruit' (pseudocarp, [[accessory fruit]]) is sometimes applied to a fruit like the [[fig]] (a ''multiple-accessory fruit''; see below) or to a plant structure that resembles a fruit but is not derived from a flower or flowers. Some [[gymnosperm]]s, such as [[Taxaceae|yew]], have fleshy [[aril]]s that resemble fruits and some [[juniper]]s have ''berry-like'', fleshy cones. The term "fruit" has also been inaccurately applied to the seed-containing female [[conifer cone|cones]] of many [[Pinophyta|conifers]].<ref name=Mauseth271>{{cite book |last= Mauseth|first= James D.|title= Botany: An Introduction to Plant Biology|url= http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0763721344&id=0DfYJsVRmUcC&pg=PA271&lpg=PA271&sig=s2WaDwTzo0sofme_Hj5DamgRFQA |date= [[April 1]] [[2003]]|publisher= Jones and Bartlett|id= ISBN 0-7637-2134-4|pages=pp. 271-272}}</ref>

==Cuisine usage==
The cuisine terminology for fruits is quite inexact and is likely to remain so.
In [[cuisine]], when [[food]] items are called "fruit", the term is most often used for those [[plant]] fruits that are edible and sweet and fleshy, examples of which include [[plum]]s, [[apple]]s and [[orange (fruit)|oranges]]. In cooking however, the word fruit may also be loosely applied to other parts of a plant, such as the stems of [[rhubarb]], which are made into sweet [[pie]]s, but which are not botanically a fruit at all.

Although the word 'fruit' has limited, specific uses in cooking, in botanical nomenclature a great many common [[vegetable]]s, as well as [[Nut (fruit)|nuts]] and [[cereal|grains]], are botanically speaking, the fruits of various plant species.<ref name=McGee247>{{cite book |last= McGee |first= Harold |authorlink=Harold McGee |title=On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0684800012&id=iX05JaZXRz0C&pg=PA247&lpg=PA247&vq=Fruit&dq=On+Food+And+Cooking&sig=sxt0wE3J41Afme7D6IbeEeAE920 |date= [[November 16]] [[2004]] |publisher= [[Simon and Schuster]]|id= ISBN 0-684-80001-2|pages=pp. 247-248}}</ref>

With most cultivated fruits, [[pollination]] is a vital part of fruit culture, and the lack of knowledge of [[pollinator]]s and [[pollenizer]]s can contribute to poor crops or poor quality crops. In a few species, the fruit may develop in the absence of pollination/fertilization, a process known as ''[[parthenocarpy]]''.<ref name=Spiegel87>{{cite book |last= Spiegel-Roy |first= P. |coauthors= E. E. Goldschmidt|title= The Biology of Citrus |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0521333210&id=SmRJnd73dbYC&pg=PA87&lpg=PA87&dq=parthenocarpy&sig=3Guru2ZBuXpY-ZA1-0ooAZBUxqg
|date= [[August 28]] [[1996]]|publisher= [[Cambridge University Press]] |id= ISBN 0-521-33321-0|pages=pp. 87-88}}</ref> Such fruits are seedless. A plant that does not produce fruit is known as ''acarpous'', meaning "without fruit".<ref>{{cite book |last= Schlegel |title= Encyclopedic Dictionary |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN1560229500&id=7J-3fD67RqwC&pg=PA5&lpg=PA5&dq=acarpous&sig=pJ78oY2DgzCvgtcjbpsX6pq-eVU
|pages=p. 5}}</ref>

== Botanic fruit and culinary fruit ==
[[Image:Fruitnveg.png|thumb|250px|[[Venn diagram]] representing the relationship between (culinary) vegetables and (botanical) fruits. Some vegetables fall into both categories.]]
Many true fruits, in a botanical sense, are treated as vegetables in [[cooking]] and food preparation because they are not sweet. These botanical fruits include [[cucurbitaceae|cucurbits]] (e.g., [[Squash (plant)|squash]], [[pumpkin]], and [[cucumber]]), [[tomato]], [[pea]]s, [[bean]]s, [[maize|corn]], [[eggplant]], and sweet [[bell pepper|pepper]], [[spice]]s, such as [[allspice]] and [[Chili pepper|chillies]].<ref name=McGee247 />
Occasionally, though rarely, a culinary "fruit" is not a true fruit in the botanical sense. For example, [[rhubarb]] is often referred to as a fruit, because it is used to make sweet desserts such as pies, though only the [[petiole (botany)|petiole]] of the rhubarb plant is edible.<ref>{{cite book |last= McGee |title=On Food and Cooking |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0684800012&id=iX05JaZXRz0C&pg=PA367&lpg=PA367&vq=rhubarb&dq=On+Food+And+Cooking&sig=7TorpakpzTCQfrRZayxOmPyZ_1s |pages=p. 367}}</ref> In the culinary sense, a fruit is usually any sweet tasting plant product associated with seed(s), a vegetable is any [[savoury]] or less sweet plant product, and a nut any hard, oily, and shelled plant product.<ref>For a [[Supreme Court of the United States]] ruling on the matter, see [[Nix v. Hedden]].</ref>

Although a [[Nut (fruit)|nut]] is a type of fruit, it is also a popular term for [[list of edible seeds|edible seeds]], such as [[peanut]]s (which are actually a [[legume]]) and [[pistachio]]s.<ref>{{cite book |last= McGee |title=On Food and Cooking |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0684800012&id=iX05JaZXRz0C&pg=PA501&lpg=PA501&vq=nut&dq=On+Food+And+Cooking&sig=o2G0ZjyWTWnMsNerGjkZQ2hk_w8
|pages=p. 501}}</ref> Technically, a [[cereal]] grain is a fruit termed a [[caryopsis]]. However, the fruit wall is very thin and fused to the seed coat so almost all of the edible grain is actually a [[seed]]. Therefore, cereal grains, such as [[maize|corn]], [[wheat]] and [[rice]] are better considered edible seeds, although some references list them as fruits.<ref>{{cite book |last= Lewis |title=CRC Dictionary of Agricultural Sciences |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0849323274&id=TwRUZK0WTWAC&pg=PA238&lpg=PA238&vq=cereal&dq=fruit&sig=5e5ElNUQ8LAQf1_mKsOF-HLSrFc
|pages=p. 238}}</ref> Edible gymnosperms seeds are often misleadingly given fruit names, e.g. [[pine]] nuts, [[Ginkgo biloba|ginkgo]] nuts, and [[juniper]] berries. A [[Folk taxonomy]] is a [[vernacular]] [[name|naming system]] which describes how non-scientists categorize items.

== Fruit development ==
[[Image:Nectarine Fruit Development.jpg|right|thumb|300px|The development sequence of a typical [[drupe]], the [[Peach#Nectarines|nectarine]] (''Prunus persica'') over a 7½ month period, from bud formation in early winter to fruit ripening in midsummer (see [[:Image:Nectarine Fruit Development.jpg|image page]] for further information)]]
{{main|Fruit anatomy}}

A fruit is a ripened ovary. Inside the ovary is the ovule (egg). The [[ovule]] is [[fertilize]]d in a process known as [[pollination]]. After the fertilization process, the ovary begins to [[ripen]]. The ovule develops into a [[seed]] and the ovary wall, the ''pericarp'', may become fleshy (as in berries or [[drupe]]s), or form a hard outer covering (as in nuts). In some cases, the [[sepal]]s, [[petal]]s and/or [[stamen]]s and [[Gynoecium|style]] of the [[flower]] fall off. Fruit development continues until the seeds have matured. In some multiseeded fruits, the extent to which the flesh develops is proportional to the number of fertilized ovules.<ref>{{cite book |last= Mauseth |title= Botany |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0763721344&id=0DfYJsVRmUcC&pg=PP14&lpg=PP11&sig=fxnTedUCSETHvzOygbqEbQuwk-g |pages = Chapter 9: Flowers and Reproduction}}</ref>

The wall of the fruit, developed from the ovary wall of the flower, is called the ''pericarp''. The ''pericarp'' is often differentiated into two or three distinct layers called the ''exocarp'' (outer layer - also called epicarp), ''mesocarp'' (middle layer), and ''endocarp'' (inner layer). In some fruits, especially simple fruits derived from an [[Ovary (plants)#Inferior ovary|inferior ovary]], other parts of the flower (such as the floral tube, including the [[petal]]s, [[sepal]]s, and [[stamen]]s), fuse with the ovary and [[ripen]] with it. The plant hormone [[ethylene]] causes ripening. When such other floral parts are a significant part of the fruit, it is called an ''[[accessory fruit]]''. Since other parts of the flower may contribute to the structure of the fruit, it is important to study flower structure to understand how a particular fruit forms.<ref name=Mauseth271 />

Fruits are so diverse that it is difficult to devise a classification scheme that includes all known fruits. Many common terms for seeds and fruit are incorrectly applied, a fact that complicates understanding of the terminology. Seeds are ripened ovules; fruits are the ripened ovaries or carpels that contain the seeds. To these two basic definitions can be added the clarification that in botanical terminology, a [[Nut (fruit)|nut]] is not a type of fruit and not another term for seed, on the contrary to common terminology.<ref name=McGee247 />

There are three basic types of fruits:
# [[#Simple fruit|Simple fruit]]
# [[#Aggregate fruit|Aggregate fruit]]
# [[#Multiple fruit|Multiple fruit]]

===Simple fruit===
[[Image:vaccinium.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Epigynous berries are simple fleshy fruit. From top right: [[cranberries]], [[lingonberries]], [[blueberries]] red [[huckleberries]]]]

Simple fruits can be either dry or fleshy, and result from the ripening of a simple or compound ovary with only one [[Carpel|pistil]]. Dry fruits may be either [[dehiscent]] (opening to discharge seeds), or indehiscent (not opening to discharge seeds).<ref>{{cite book |last= Schlegel |title= Encyclopedic Dictionary |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=7J-3fD67RqwC&vid=ISBN1560229500&dq=acarpous&pg=PA123&lpg=PA123&sig=mFka90ytIY0ymsbOk40-U--1h28
|pages=p. 123}}</ref> Types of dry, simple fruits, with examples of each, are:
*[[achene]] - ([[buttercup]])
*[[Capsule (fruit)|capsule]] - ([[Brazil nut]])
*[[caryopsis]] - ([[wheat]])
*[[drupe|fibrous drupe]] - ([[coconut]], [[walnut]])
*[[Follicle (fruit)|follicle]] - ([[milkweed]])
*[[legume]] - ([[pea]], [[bean]], [[peanut]])
*[[loment]]
*[[Nut (fruit)|nut]] - ([[hazelnut]], [[beech]], oak [[acorn]])
*[[samara (fruit)|samara]] - ([[elm]], [[Ash tree|ash]], [[maple]] key)
*[[schizocarp]] - ([[carrot]])
*[[silique]] - ([[radish]])
*[[silicle]] - ([[shepherd's purse]])
*[[utricle (fruit)|utricle]] - ([[beet]])

Fruits in which part or all of the ''pericarp'' (fruit wall) is fleshy at maturity are ''simple fleshy fruits''. Types of fleshy, simple fruits (with examples) are:
*[[berry]] - ([[redcurrant]], [[gooseberry]], [[tomato]], [[avocado]])
*stone fruit or [[drupe]] ([[plum]], [[cherry]], [[peach]], [[apricot]], [[olive]])
*[[false berry]] - Epigynous accessory fruits ([[banana]], [[cranberry]])
*[[pome]] - accessory fruits ([[apple]], [[pear]], [[rosehip]])

===Aggregate fruit===<!-- This section is linked from [[Rose]] -->
[[Image:DewberriesWeb.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[Dewberry]] flowers. Note the multiple [[pistil]]s, each of which will produce a [[drupe]]let. Each flower will become a blackberry-like [[aggregate fruit]]]]
{{main|Aggregate fruit}}

An aggregate fruit, or ''etaerio'', develops from a flower with numerous simple pistils.<ref>{{cite book |last= Schlegel |title= Encyclopedic Dictionary |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN1560229500&id=7J-3fD67RqwC&pg=PA16&lpg=PA16&vq=Aggregate+fruit&dq=acarpous&sig=Muxd7lDu6N4K7272-3Eh9VUZwQU
|pages=p. 16}}</ref> An example is the [[raspberry]], whose simple fruits are termed ''drupelets'' because each is like a small [[drupe]] attached to the receptacle. In some [[bramble]] fruits (such as [[blackberry]]) the receptacle is elongated and part of the ripe fruit, making the blackberry an ''aggregate-accessory'' fruit.<ref>{{cite book |last= McGee |title=On Food and Cooking |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0684800012&id=iX05JaZXRz0C&pg=PA361&lpg=PA361&vq=raspberry&dq=On+Food+And+Cooking&sig=0wKBQUHIAP1jhRusTCw64TGfYoQ |pages=pp. 361-362}}</ref> The [[strawberry]] is also an aggregate-accessory fruit, only one in which the seeds are contained in [[achene]]s.<ref>{{cite book |last= McGee |title=On Food and Cooking |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0684800012&id=iX05JaZXRz0C&pg=PA364&lpg=PA364&vq=strawberry&dq=On+Food+And+Cooking&sig=bKEBM5unYQam-pn6AYQSyKhWe_o |pages=pp. 364-365}}</ref> In all these examples, the fruit develops from a single flower with numerous pistils.

Some kinds of aggregate fruits are called [[berries]], yet in the botanical sense they are not.

===Multiple fruit===
{{main|Multiple fruit}}
A multiple fruit is one formed from a cluster of flowers (called an ''[[inflorescence]]''). Each flower produces a fruit, but these mature into a single mass.<ref>{{cite book |last= Schlegel |title= Encyclopedic Dictionary |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN1560229500&id=7J-3fD67RqwC&pg=PA282&lpg=PA282&vq=Multiple+fruit&dq=acarpous&sig=mnPOH-HP-2Ow6lX916y7uf_9Zzo
|pages=p. 282}}</ref> Examples are the [[pineapple]], edible [[fig]], [[mulberry]], [[osage-orange]], and [[breadfruit]].

[[Image:Noni fruit dev.jpg|thumb|right|250px|In some plants, such as this [[noni]], flowers are produced regularly along the stem and it is possible to see together examples of flowering, fruit development, and fruit ripening]]
In the photograph on the right, stages of flowering and fruit development in the [[noni]] or Indian mulberry (''Morinda citrifolia'') can be observed on a single branch. First an inflorescence of white flowers called a head is produced. After [[Fertilization#Fertilisation in plants|fertilization]], each flower develops into a drupe, and as the drupes expand, they become ''connate'' (merge) into a ''multiple fleshy fruit'' called a ''syncarpet''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Parker |first=Philip M. |title=Morinda Citrifolia - A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated Research Guide to Internet References |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0497007584&id=8jVrCEmZ-HwC&dq=Morinda+citrifolia |date=[[December 1]] [[2004]] |publisher=ICON Group |id=ISBN 0-497-00758-4 }}</ref>

There are also many dry multiple fruits, e.g.
*[[Tuliptree]], multiple of samaras.
*[[Sweet gum]], multiple of capsules.
*[[Sycamore]] and [[teasel]], multiple of achenes.
*[[Magnolia]], multiple of follicles.

===Fruit chart===
To summarize common types of fruit (examples follow in the table below):
* [[Berry]] -- simple fruit and seeds created from a single ovary
** [[Pepo]] -- Berries where the skin is hardened, like [[cucurbit]]s
** [[Hesperidium]] -- Berries with a rind, like most [[citrus]] fruit
* [[False berries]] -- Epigynous fruit made from a part of the plant other than a single ovary
* [[Compound fruit]], which includes:
** [[Aggregate fruit]] -- multiple fruits with seeds from different ovaries of a single flower
** [[Multiple fruit]] -- fruits of separate flowers, packed closely together
* Other [[accessory fruit]] -- where the edible part is not generated by the ovary
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Types of fruit
|-
! True berry
! Pepo
! Hesperidium
! False berry (Epigynous)
! Aggregate fruit
! Multiple fruit
! Other accessory fruit
|-
| [[Blackcurrant]], [[Redcurrant]], [[Gooseberry]], [[Tomato]], [[Eggplant]], [[Guava]], [[Lucuma]], [[Chili pepper]], [[Pomegranate]], [[Avocado]], [[Kiwifruit]], [[Grape]],
| [[Pumpkin]], [[Gourd]], [[Cucumber]], [[Melon]]
| [[Orange (fruit)|Orange]], [[Lemon]], [[Lime (fruit)|Lime]], [[Grapefruit]]
| [[Banana]], [[Cranberry]], [[Blueberry]]
| [[Blackberry]], [[Raspberry]], [[Boysenberry]], [[Hedge apple]]
| [[Pineapple]], [[Fig]], [[Mulberry]]
| [[Apple]], [[Apricot]], [[Peach]], [[Cherry]], [[Green bean]], [[Sunflower seed]], [[Strawberry]]
|}

== Seedless fruits ==
[[Image:FruitArrangement.jpg|thumb|250px|An arrangement of fruits commonly thought of as vegetables, including [[tomato]]es and various [[Squash (fruit)|squash]]]]
Seedlessness is an important feature of some fruits of commerce. Commercial [[cultivars]] of [[banana]]s and [[pineapples]] are examples of [[seedless fruit]]s. Some cultivars of [[citrus]] fruits (especially navel [[Orange (fruit)|oranges]] and [[mandarin orange]]s), [[table grape]]s, [[grapefruit]], and [[watermelon]]s are valued for their seedlessness. In some species, seedlessness is the result of ''[[parthenocarpy]]'', where fruits set without fertilization. Parthenocarpic fruit set may or may not require pollination. Most seedless citrus fruits require a pollination stimulus; bananas and pineapples do not. Seedlessness in table grapes results from the abortion of the [[embryo]]nic plant that is produced by fertilization, a phenomenon known as ''[[stenospermocarpy]]'' which requires normal pollination and fertilization.<ref name=Spiegel87 />

== Seed dissemination ==
Variations in fruit structures largely depend on the [[Biological dispersal|mode of dispersal]] of the seeds they contain. This dispersal can be achieved by animals, wind, water, or explosive dehiscence.<ref name=Capon198>{{cite book |last=Capon |first=Brian |title=Botany for Gardeners |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0881926558&id=Z2s9v__6rp4C&pg=PA198&lpg=PA198&dq=coconut+dispersal&sig=o2ECHPkflL6xvh0CAjbkgmdSD1A |date=[[February 25]] [[2005]] |publisher=Timber Press |id=ISBN 0-88192-655-8 |pages=pp. 198-199 }}</ref>

Some fruits have coats covered with spikes or hooked burrs, either to prevent themselves from being eaten by [[animal]]s or to stick to the [[hair]]s, feathers or legs of animals, using them as dispersal agents. Examples include [[cocklebur]] and [[unicorn plant]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Heiser |first=Charles B. |title=Weeds in My Garden: Observations on Some Misunderstood Plants |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0881925624&id=nN1ohECdSC8C&pg=PA93&lpg=PA93&dq=cocklebur&sig=pRIfunPQhPbVKoZCjjb-wj4lPx8 |date=[[April 1]] [[2003]] |publisher=Timber Press |id=ISBN 0-88192-562-4 |pages=pp. 93-95}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Heiser |title=Weeds in My Garden |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0881925624&id=nN1ohECdSC8C&pg=PA164&lpg=PA162&vq=unicorn&dq=cocklebur&sig=aRLExIV7BLqUkOD1AX7rDo0uXRM |pages=pp. 162-164}}</ref>

The sweet flesh of many fruits is "deliberately" appealing to animals, so that the seeds held within are eaten and "unwittingly" carried away and deposited at a distance from the parent. Likewise, the nutritious, oily kernels of [[Nut (fruit)|nuts]] are appealing to rodents (such as [[squirrel]]s) who [[hoarding|hoard]] them in the soil in order to avoid starving during the winter, thus giving those seeds that remain uneaten the chance to [[Germination|germinate]] and grow into a new plant away from their parent.<ref name=McGee247 />

Other fruits are elongated and flattened out naturally and so become thin, like [[wing]]s or [[helicopter]] blades, e.g. [[maple]], [[tuliptree]] and [[elm]]. This is an [[evolution]]ary mechanism to increase dispersal [[distance]] away from the parent via wind. Other wind-dispersed fruit have tiny ''parachutes'', e.g. [[dandelion]] and [[salsify]].<ref name=Capon198 />

[[Coconut]] fruits can float thousands of miles in the ocean to spread seeds. Some other fruits that can disperse via water are [[nipa palm]] and [[screw pine]].<ref name=Capon198 />

Some fruits fling seeds substantial distances (up to 100&nbsp;m in [[sandbox tree]]) via explosive dehiscence or other mechanisms, e.g. [[impatiens]] and [[squirting cucumber]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Feldkamp |first=Susan |title=Modern Biology |year=2002 |publisher=Holt, Rinehart, and Winston |id=ISBN 0-88192-562-4 |pages=pp. 634}}</ref>

== Uses ==
[[Image:Stewed nectarines.JPG|thumb|right|[[Nectarine]]s are one of many fruits that can be easily stewed]]
Many hundreds of fruits, including fleshy fruits like [[apple]], [[peach]], [[pear]], [[kiwifruit]], [[watermelon]] and [[mango]] are commercially valuable as [[human]] food, eaten both fresh and as [[jam]]s, [[marmalade]] and other [[food preservation|preserves]]. Fruits are also in manufactured foods like [[cookie]]s, [[muffin]]s, [[yoghurt]], [[ice cream]], [[cake]]s, and many more. Many fruits are used to make beverages, such as fruit juices ([[orange juice]], [[apple juice]], [[grape juice]], etc) or [[alcoholic beverages]], such as [[wine]] or [[brandy]].<ref>{{cite book |last= McGee |title=On Food and Cooking |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0684800012&id=iX05JaZXRz0C&pg=PA350&lpg=PA350&sig=mRABdaXizly6iRNRVGLBT9KFNs4
|pages=Chapter 7: A Survey of Common Fruits}}</ref> [[Apple]]s are often used to make [[vinegar]].

Many vegetables are botanical fruits, including [[tomato]], [[bell pepper]], [[eggplant]], [[okra]], [[Squash (fruit)|squash]], [[pumpkin]], [[green bean]], [[cucumber]] and [[zucchini]].<ref>{{cite book |last= McGee |title=On Food and Cooking |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0684800012&id=iX05JaZXRz0C&pg=PA300&lpg=PA299&sig=qzosecWWwdrc_oP5K8_-9VJxzYA
|pages=Chapter 6: A Survey of Common Vegetables}}</ref> [[Olive]] fruit is pressed for [[olive oil]]. Spices like [[vanilla]], [[paprika]], [[allspice]] and [[black pepper]] are derived from berries.<ref>{{cite book |last=Farrell |first=Kenneth T. |title=Spices, Condiments and Seasonings |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0834213370&id=ehAFUhWV4QMC&pg=PA17&lpg=PA17&sig=kKUhWXqSF7EpTw70-XWN-LFega8 |date=[[November 1]] [[1999]] |publisher=Springer |id=ISBN 0-8342-1337-0 |pages=pp. 17-19 }}</ref>

===Nutritional value===
Fruits are generally high in [[fiber]], [[water]] and [[vitamin C]]. Fruits also contain various [[phytochemicals]] that do not yet have an RDA/RDI listing under most nutritional factsheets, and which research indicates are required for proper long-term cellular health and disease prevention. Regular consumption of fruit is associated with reduced risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, Alzheimer disease, cataracts, and some of the functional declines associated with aging.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/78/3/517S|title=Health benefits of fruit and vegetables are from additive and synergistic combinations of phytochemicals - Liu 78 (3): 517S - American Journal of Clinical Nutrition<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref>

===Nonfood uses===
Because fruits have been such a major part of the [[human]] diet, different cultures have developed many different uses for various fruits that they do not depend on as being edible. Many dry fruits are used as decorations or in dried flower arrangements, such as [[unicorn plant]], [[Lotus (genus)|lotus]], [[wheat]], [[annual honesty]] and [[milkweed]]. Ornamental [[tree]]s and [[shrub]]s are often cultivated for their colorful fruits, including [[holly]], [[pyracantha]], [[viburnum]], [[skimmia]], [[beautyberry]] and [[cotoneaster]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Adams |first=Denise Wiles |title=Restoring American Gardens: An Encyclopedia of Heirloom Ornamental Plants, 1640-1940 |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0881926191&id=J30SOqPLMOEC&pg=PA3&lpg=PA3&sig=AniDCcooYARUBXRUWpGB1ACff88 |date=[[February 1]] [[2004]] |publisher=Timber Press |id=ISBN 0-88192-619-1 }}</ref>

Fruits of [[opium poppy]] are the source of the drugs [[opium]] and [[morphine]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Booth |first=Martin |authorlink=Martin Booth |title=Opium: A History |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0312206674&id=kHRyZEQ5rC4C |date=[[June 12]] [[1999]] |publisher=St. Martin's Press |id=ISBN 0-312-20667-4 }}</ref> [[Osage orange]] fruits are used to repel [[cockroach]]es.<ref>{{cite book |last=Cothran |first=James R. |title=Gardens and Historic Plants of the Antebellum South |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN1570035016&id=s8OcSmOKeCkC&pg=PA221&lpg=PA221&dq=cockroaches&sig=BO8wcOHAKIRaQY-hOuAp-UfVO4E |date=[[November 1]] [[2003]] |publisher=University of South Carolina Press |id=ISBN 1-57003-501-6 |pages=pp. 221}}</ref> [[Bayberry]] fruits provide a wax often used to make candles.<ref>{{cite book |last=K |first=Amber |title=Candlemas: Feast of Flames |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0738700797&id=WQL4W13EYlUC&pg=PA155&lpg=PA155&dq=bayberry&sig=eLi88WIj35Kr26iApnEUmn20ya8 |date=[[December 1]] [[2001]] |publisher=Llewellyn Worldwide |id=ISBN 0-7387-0079-7 |pages=pp. 155}}</ref> Many fruits provide [[natural]] dyes, e.g. [[walnut]], [[sumac]], [[cherry]] and [[mulberry]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Adrosko |first=Rita J. |title=Natural Dyes and Home Dyeing: A Practical Guide with over 150 Recipes |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0486226883&id=EElNckPn0FUC |date=[[June 1]] [[1971]] |publisher=Courier Dover Publications |id=ISBN 0-486-22688-3 }}</ref> Dried [[gourd]]s are used as decorations, water jugs, bird houses, musical instruments, cups and dishes. [[Pumpkin]]s are carved into [[Jack-o'-lantern]]s for [[Halloween]]. The spiny fruit of [[burdock]] or [[cocklebur]] were the inspiration for the invention of [[Velcro]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Wake |first=Warren |title=Design Paradigms: A Sourcebook for Creative Visualization |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0471299766&id=j2n1BCqxWjcC&pg=PA162&lpg=PA162&sig=fl01iJ4z3HaLBm6nJ83WMLggpVk |date=[[March 13]] [[2000]] |publisher=John Wiley and Sons |id=ISBN |pages=pp. 162-163}}</ref>

[[Coir]] is a fibre from the fruit of [[coconut]] that is used for doormats, brushes, mattresses, floortiles, sacking, insulation and as a growing medium for container plants. The shell of the coconut fruit is used to make souvenir heads, cups, bowls, musical instruments and bird houses.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.coconut.com/museum/uses.html
| title = The Many Uses of the Coconut
| accessdate =2006-09-14| publisher = The Coconut Museum
}}</ref>

== Production ==
[[India]] is world leader in fresh fruit production followed by [[Vietnam]] and then [[China]].

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%"
|+ Top Ten Fresh Fruit Producers – 2005
|-
!width="30%"| Country
!width="25%"| Production (Int $1000)
!width="10%"| Footnote
!width="25%"| Production (MT)
!width="10%"| Footnote
|-
| {{IND}} ||1,052,766 ||C ||6,600,000 ||F
|-
| {{VNM}} ||438,652 ||C ||2,750,000 ||F
|-
| {{PRC}} ||271,167 ||C ||1,790,000 ||F
|-
| {{IDN}} ||255,216 ||C ||1,600,000 ||F
|-
| {{NGR}} ||223,314 ||C ||1,400,000 ||F
|-
| {{IRN}} ||223,314 ||C ||1,400,000 ||F
|-
| {{MMR}} ||183,436 ||C ||1,150,000 ||F
|-
| {{PNG}} ||129,203 ||C ||810,000 ||F
|-
| {{NEP}} ||82,945 ||C ||520,000 ||F
|-
| {{DPRK}} ||78,160 ||C ||490,000 ||F
|-
|colspan=5 style="font-size:.7em"|No symbol = official figure,F = FAO estimate, * = Unofficial figure, C = Calculated figure;<br />
Production in Int $1000 have been calculated based on 1999-2001 international prices<br />
Source: [http://www.fao.org/es/ess/top/commodity.html?lang=en&item=619&year=2005 Food and Agricultural Organization of United Nations: Economic and Social Department: The Statistical Division]
|}

[[Philippines]] is world leader in tropical fresh fruit production followed by [[Indonesia]] and then [[India]].

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%"
|+ Top Ten Tropical Fresh Fruit Producers – 2005
|-
!width="30%"| Country
!width="25%"| Production (Int $1000)
!width="10%"| Footnote
!width="25%"| Production (MT)
!width="10%"| Footnote
|-
| {{PHI}} || 389,164 || C || 3,400,000 || F
|-
| {{IDN}} || 377,718 || C || 3,300,000 || F
|-
| {{IND}} || 335,368 || C || 2,930,000 || F
|-
| {{PRC}} || 177,413 || C || 2,164,000 || F
|-
| {{COL}} || 131,629 || C || 1,150,000 || F
|-
| {{THA}} || 83,556 || C || 730,000 || F
|-
| {{PAK}} || 60,893 || C || 532,000 || F
|-
| {{BRA}} || 55,513 || C || 485,000 || F
|-
| {{BAN}} || 31,934 || C || 279,000 || F
|-
| {{MEX}} || 28,615 || C || 250,000 || F
|-
|colspan=5 style="font-size:.7em"|No symbol = official figure, F = FAO estimate, * = Unofficial figure, C = Calculated figure;<br />
Production in Int $1000 have been calculated based on 1999-2001 international prices<br />
Source: [http://www.fao.org/es/ess/top/commodity.html?lang=en&item=603&year=2005Food and Agricultural Organization of United Nations: Economic and Social Department: The Statistical Division]
|}

== See also ==
* [[List of culinary fruits]]
* [[Fruit tree]]s
* [[Tutti frutti]]
* [[Fruitarianism]]

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== External links ==
{{wiktionary|Fruit}}
{{commonscat}}
{{cookbook}}
* [http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/pages/fruit-devel.htm Images of fruit development from flowers] at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu
* [http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/pages/fruit-seed-dispersal.htm Fruit and seed dispersal images] at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu
* [http://www.crfg.org/pubs/frtfacts.html Fruit Facts] from California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc.
*[http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Fruit Encyclopedia Britannica 1911 on Fruit]
{{-}}
{{fruits}}
{{Botany}}

[[Category:Fruit]]
[[Category:Plant morphology]]
[[Category:Pollination]]
[[Category:Snack foods]]
[[Category:Vegan snacks]]
[[Category:Vegan cuisine]]
[[Category:Vegetarian cuisine]]

[[ar:فواكه]]
[[an:Fruita]]
[[arc:ܦܝܪܐ]]
[[gn:Yva]]
[[ay:Achu]]
[[zh-min-nan:Kóe-chí]]
[[be-x-old:Садавіна]]
[[bs:Voće]]
[[bg:Плод]]
[[ca:Fruit]]
[[cs:Ovoce]]
[[ch:Inasahan]]
[[cy:Ffrwyth]]
[[da:Frugt]]
[[de:Frucht]]
[[et:Vili]]
[[el:Φρούτα]]
[[es:Fruta]]
[[eo:Frukto]]
[[fa:میوه]]
[[fr:Fruit]]
[[ko:열매]]
[[hi:फल]]
[[hr:Voće]]
[[io:Frukto]]
[[id:Buah]]
[[iu:ᒪᒪᖅᑐᖅ, ᓰᕐᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᕈᖅᑐᖅ/mamaqtuq, siirnaqtuq piruqtuq]]
[[is:Ávöxtur]]
[[it:Frutto]]
[[he:פרי]]
[[jv:Woh]]
[[sw:Tunda]]
[[ht:Fwi]]
[[la:Fructus]]
[[lv:Auglis]]
[[lt:Vaisius]]
[[hu:Gyümölcs]]
[[mg:Voankazo]]
[[mr:फळ]]
[[ms:Buah]]
[[nl:Vrucht (plant)]]
[[ja:果実]]
[[nap:Frutto]]
[[no:Frukt]]
[[nn:Frukt]]
[[nrm:Frit]]
[[pl:Owoc]]
[[pt:Fruto]]
[[ro:Fruct]]
[[qu:Ruru]]
[[ru:Фрукт]]
[[se:Šattus]]
[[sq:Fruti]]
[[scn:Frutta]]
[[simple:Fruit]]
[[sl:Plod]]
[[sr:Плод]]
[[su:Buah]]
[[fi:Hedelmä]]
[[sv:Frukt]]
[[tl:Bungang-kahoy]]
[[ta:பழம்]]
[[th:ผลไม้]]
[[chy:Mene]]
[[tr:Meyve]]
[[uk:Плід]]
[[yi:פרוכט]]
[[zh-yue:果]]
[[bat-smg:Vaisios]]
[[zh:果实]]

Revision as of 00:19, 24 September 2008

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