Subject: Re: figs; veg or fruit?

From: [email-masked] (Scott T. Meissner)
Date: 6 Mar 1995 05:00:44 -0800

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:  [email-masked]