Mango and coconut are similar in

Options

A. having undifferentiated pericarp
B. arising from multicarpellary syncarpous gynoecium
C. having mesocarp as edible part
D. being single seeded

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Identify the Fruits**: The question compares two fruits: mango and coconut.

2. **Understand the Structure of Mango**:
- Mango is classified as a juicy drupe fruit.
- It develops from a multicarpillary syncarpous gynoecium, meaning it has multiple carpels that are fused together.
- The pericarp (the fruit wall) of mango is differentiated into three layers:
- Exocarp (outer layer)
- Mesocarp (middle layer, which is the edible part)
- Endocarp (inner layer)
- Mango typically contains a single seed.

3. **Understand the Structure of Coconut**:
- Coconut is classified as a dry drupe fruit.
- It can arise from a single pistil (monocarpillary) and can be either syncarpous or apocarpous.
- The pericarp of coconut is also differentiated into three layers:
- Exocarp (outer layer)
- Mesocarp (the edible part)
- Endocarp (inner layer)
- Coconut also typically contains a single seed.

4. **Compare the Features**:
- **Undifferentiated Pericarp**: Both fruits have differentiated pericarp, so this statement is incorrect for both.
- **Multicarpillary Syncarpous Gynoecium**: This is true for mango but not for coconut, which can be monocarpillary.
- **Mesocarp as Edible Part**: This is true for both mango and coconut, as the mesocarp is the edible part in both fruits.
- **Single Seed**: Both fruits typically have a single seed, but the statement is misleading as mango has a single seed but coconut is also known for having one seed.

5. **Conclusion**: The only correct similarity between mango and coconut is that both have the mesocarp as the edible part.

**Final Answer**: Mango and coconut are similar in having the mesocarp as the edible part.

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