Which type of fruit is produced when many flowers on a single structure develop into a single fruit, as seen in figs and pineapple?

• A. Simple fruits from a single flower
• B. Multiple fruits produced from many flowers on a single structure
• C. Aggregate fruits from a single flower with multiple carpels
• D. Accessory fruits formed from the receptacle

Answer: (B)

This question is about how a fruit can form from many flowers on one structure. When an inflorescence bears numerous flowers and each flower develops its own small fruitlet, those fruitlets can grow together into a single, larger fruit. Pineapple and fig are classic examples: in pineapple, the many flowers on the crown each become a tiny fruit, and those fruitlets fuse into one edible fruit; in fig, numerous flowers inside the structure develop into tiny fruits that collectively form the whole fig. This contrasts with a simple fruit, which comes from one flower’s ovary; an aggregate fruit, which comes from multiple carpels of one flower; and an accessory fruit, where tissue like the receptacle forms most of the edible part. So the described type of fruit is a multiple fruit.