pseudocarp

Fruitlike structure that incorporates tissue that is not derived from the ovary wall. The additional tissues may be derived from floral parts such as the receptacle and calyx. For example, the coloured, fleshy part of a strawberry develops from the receptacle and the true fruits are small achenes – the ‘pips’ embedded in its outer surface. Rose hips are a type of pseudocarp that consists of a hollow, fleshy receptacle containing a number of achenes within. Different types of pseudocarp include pineapples, figs, apples, and pears.

A coenocarpium is a fleshy, multiple pseudocarp derived from an inflorescence rather than a single flower. The pineapple has a thickened central axis surrounded by fleshy tissues derived from the receptacles and floral parts of many flowers. A fig is a type of pseudocarp called a syconium, formed from a hollow receptacle with small flowers attached to the inner wall. After fertilization the ovaries of the female flowers develop into one-seeded achenes.

Apples and pears are pomes, another type of pseudocarp.