Stone fruit
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A stone fruit, also called a drupe, is a fruit with a large "stone" inside. The stone is sometimes called the seed, but that is a mistake, as the seed is inside the stone. The stones can also be called a pit. These fruits are edible and used frequently in cooking.
Identification
[change | change source]What makes a fruit?
[change | change source]A fruit is the matured ovary of a flower. Fruits consist of two main parts: the pericarp, or ovary wall, and the seed(s).
The pericarp has three layers: the exocarp (skin/rind), the mesocarp (bulk of the pericarp), and the endocarp (innermost layer).
Berries vs. drupes
[change | change source]The two main classes of fleshy fruits are berries and drupes, or stone fruits.
Berries have a fleshy mesocarp and endocarp, and may have multiple seeds.
Drupes have a fleshy mesocarp, but a tough endocarp, and of course, a "stone" or "pit" at its center. Drupes typically have only a single seed.
Examples of stone fruits
[change | change source]Scientific name | Description | What's the pit? | In pop culture | |
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Apricots | Prunus armeniaca |
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Apriums | apricot/plum hybrid | |||
Blackberries | Rubus |
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Cherries |
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Coconuts |
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Dates | ||||
Green almonds | the fruit of an almond tree, containing the pit or "nut" commonly referred to as an almond |
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Lychees | ||||
Mangoes | Mangifera indica |
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Marionberries | a cultivar of blackberries |
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Mulberries | Morus |
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Nectarines | Prunus persica var. nucipersica | |||
Olives | Olea europaea | |||
Peaches | Prunus persica | Peach pit |
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Plums | prunus domestica |
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Pluots | plum/apricot hybrid | |||
Salmonberry | rubus spectabilis |
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