From smeissne@prairienet.org Fri Mar 10 00:52:21 EST 1995
Article: 5583 of bionet.plants
Path: bigblue.oit.unc.edu!concert!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!spool.mu.edu!olivea!biosci!PRAIRIENET.ORG!smeissne
From: smeissne@PRAIRIENET.ORG (Scott T. Meissner)
Newsgroups: bionet.plants
Subject: Re:  figs;  veg or fruit?
Date: 6 Mar 1995 05:00:44 -0800
Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology
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Sender: daemon@net.bio.net
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Message-ID: <9503061300.AA14840@firefly.prairienet.org>
Reply-To: smeissne@prairienet.org


In reply to the recent question by Lester Young who asked
if a fig is a fruit or vegetable:

Figs are an entire inflorescence.  This group of flowers
is closed over.  This makes it a fruit, as it comes from 
a flower and has seeds.  It is also a multiple fruit, as
it is formed from the fusion of many separate flowers.  
What we eat is really a swelling of the receptacle.

Vegetables are formed from modifications of leaves, stems
or roots.  While fruits come from flowers, and mostly the
fruit wall is a modification of the ovarian wall.

Those who wish more information might wish to check out:

Biology of Plants, by Raven, Evert and Eichhorn.  1992
	by Worth Publishers, pgs 429-435.  Has the basic
	fruit types defined very nicely.

Or

Economic botany:  Plants in our world.  By Simpson and 
	Conner-Ogorzaly, 1986.   This book is an excellant
	reference for many of the plants we use.

Hope that helps.

Aure Entuluva!
###


--
Scott T. Meissner	Division of Science and Mathematics
			McKendree College, 701 College Rd
			Lebanon, IL 62254
Tel:  (618)  537-6934   E-mail:  smeissne@prairienet.org



