Difference Between Aggregate Fruit and Multiple Fruit

Fruits are an essential part of a flowering plant’s reproductive system. They develop from a flower's ovary and serve to protect and disperse seeds.  Depending on how many ovaries take part in fruit formation, fruits are classified into simple, aggregate, and multiple (composite) types.
Overview of Fruit Formation

Fruits develop after fertilisation, when the ovary of a flower transforms into a mature fruit. The ovules become seeds, while the ovary wall becomes the pericarp. Based on the origin and structure:

• Simple fruits develop from a single ovary of a single flower.
• Aggregate fruits develop from several ovaries of a single flower.
• Multiple fruits develop from the ovaries of many flowers in an inflorescence.

1.0What is an Aggregate Fruit?

An aggregate fruit forms from a single flower that has many free (apocarpous) ovaries. Each ovary develops into a small fruitlet, and all fruitlets together make up the aggregate fruit.

Types of Aggregate Fruits

Aggregate fruits are classified based on the type of fruitlets they contain:

• Etaerio of Achenes: Examples include Strawberry and Rose. In Strawberry, the fleshy edible part is the thalamus, and the "seeds" on the surface are actually small achene fruits.
• Etaerio of Drupes: Examples include Raspberry and Blackberry. Here, individual fruitlets are small drupes developing from separate carpels.
• Etaerio of Berries: Examples include Custard Apple (Annona squamosa). The apical parts of the berries fuse to form a rind, while the inner part remains distinct.
• Etaerio of Follicles: Examples include Calotropis and Michelia.

Characteristics of Aggregate Fruits

1. Originates from one flower with multiple ovaries.
2. Each ovary forms a small fruitlet; collectively, they create a cluster.
3. The fruitlets may be separate or partially or wholly fused.
4. The entire cluster appears as a single fruit, but it is structurally composed of many fruitlets.

Examples of Aggregate Fruits

• Strawberry (Fragaria) – The real fruits are tiny achenes (seeds) on the outer surface; the fleshy part is the enlarged receptacle.
• Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) – Each drupelet develops from a separate ovary but remains attached to a central core.
• Custard apple (Annona squamosa) – Individual carpel-based fruitlets are fused together forming the fruit surface.

2.0What is a Multiple Fruit?

A multiple fruit (also known as a composite fruit) forms from an entire inflorescence — that is, from the ovaries of many flowers growing closely together. After fertilisation, the individual fruits of each flower fuse to form one large mass.

There are two main types of multiple fruits relevant to the NEET syllabus: Sorosis and Syconus.

A. Sorosis

This type develops from a spike, spadix, or catkin inflorescence. As the flowers mature, the rachis (stem axis) and the perianth lobes become fleshy and fuse together.

• Pineapple (Ananas sativus): Develops from a spike inflorescence. The edible part includes the fleshy axis and bracts.
• Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus): Develops from a spadix inflorescence. The edible parts are the fleshy perianth (bracts) and seeds. The spiny rind represents the stigma parts.
• Mulberry (Morus): Develops from a female catkin.

B. Syconus

This type develops specifically from a Hypanthodium inflorescence.

• In this inflorescence, the peduncle (flower stalk) becomes hollow and pear-shaped with a small opening called the ostium.
• Flowers are present inside this hollow cavity.
• After fertilization (often by the blastophaga wasp), the hollow receptacle becomes fleshy and edible.
• Example: Ficus species (Fig, Banyan, Peepal).

Characteristics of Multiple Fruits

1. Originates from many flowers of an inflorescence.
2. The individual fruits and other floral parts (like bracts, receptacles, or perianths) fuse together.
3. The resulting structure is a single composite fruit representing the entire inflorescence.
4. It is often large, complex, and irregularly shaped.

Examples of Multiple Fruits

• Pineapple (Ananas comosus) – Formed from a spike inflorescence; the ovaries, bracts, and axis fuse to create one juicy fruit.
• Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) – Formed from multiple flowers on a spadix inflorescence. The edible part consists of the perianths and pericarps of many flowers.
• Mulberry (Morus alba) – The individual fruits (drupelets) of small flowers fuse to form a single fleshy mass.

3.0Key Differences: Aggregate and Multiple Fruit