Classification of fruits

1. Classification of fruits
Dr. M. Kumaresan (Hort.)
Department of Horticulture
Vels Institute of Science, Technology & Advanced Studies (VISTAS)
Pallavaram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu - 600117

2. On the basis of pattern and seasonality
Deciduous
• Trees which shed their leaves are recognized as deciduous and the fruits from such trees are termed as
deciduous fruits.
• Leaves are shed during a dry spell to overcome the water losses
• Deciduous trees havebroad flat leaves that receive a large amount of sunlight and require a greatamount of
water
• Examples include apricots, peaches, plums and nectarines
• Deciduous fruits are further grouped as pome (apples, pear, quince), drupe (peach, plum, apricot,
cherry, almond), small fruits (grape, berries), nuts (pecan, walnut, cashewnut)

3. Evergreens
• Unlike deciduous, evergreen trees keep their leaves around the year
• Leaves of evergreen trees are needle shaped to prevent the moisture loss from the tree.
• Examples include avocado, mango, guava, citrus and jamun
On the basis of pattern and seasonality

4. Classification of fruits based on climatic adaptability
Temperate fruits
• Temperate-climate fruits refer to all fruits that normally grow further than 23.5o from the equator
• These types of fruits can grow well in a colder climate
• In India, the temperate climatic zone area is found in the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Sikkim and Nagaland
• These fruit plants are generally deciduous and stand frost.
• E.g. apple, almond, peach, pear, plum, strawberry, apricot, persimmon, cherimoya, pecan nut, walnut,
hassle nut, cherry, pistachios and kiwifruits etc.

5. Tropical fruits
• The fruits that successfully grows between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, at 23o North and South of the
equator are called tropical fruits.
• These tropical fruit plants are perennial, evergreen and are practically sensitive to temperatures below 10 °C
besides having limited resistance to frost.
• Additionally, most tropical fruit require humid environmental conditions
• E.g.: mango, banana, papaya, sapota, etc.,
Classification of fruits based on climatic adaptability

6. Sub-tropical fruits
• Like tropical fruits, sub-tropical fruits also grow along Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn but with higher
resistance to colder temperatures than tropical fruit.
• Some subtropical fruit plants require chilling for flower bud differentiation.
• Example; grape, citrus, durian, jackfruit, etc.,
Classification of fruits based on climatic adaptability

7. On the basis of morphology
Simple fruits
• Fruits which develop from a single ovary of a single flower
• E.g. lemon, lime, citrus, peach, apple, pear, etc.

8. Modified berry
• Balusta: Pomegranate
• Amphisarca: Woodapple, Bael
• Pome: Apple, Pear, Loquat
• Drupe (Stone): Mango, Pear, Plum
• Hesperidium: Citrus
• Nut: Cashew, Litchi, Walnut, Rambutan
• Capsule: Aonla, Carambola

9. Balusta: Large berry surrounded by a thick colored peel composed of exocarp and mesocarp
with edible arils inside
Pomegranate

10. Amphisarca: Fruit that is multi-celled and multi-seeded fruit that is pulpy inside
and has a hard or woody rind
Wood apple
Bael

11. Pome: Fruits consist of a central "core" containing multiple small seeds, which is enveloped by a hard
membrane and surrounded by an edible layer of flesh

12. Drupe: Pericarp or fruit wall is differentiated into thin epicarp (skin) fleshy mesocarp and
stony endocarp

13. Hesperidium: Modified berry resulting from a single ovary

14. Nut: Fruit consisting of a hard or tough nutshell protecting a kernel which is
usually edible
Capsule is a dry fruit that splits open (dehiscent) in 3 or more ways

15. On the basis of morphology
Aggregate Fruits
• Fruits that develop from many ovaries of a single flower
• E.g. raspberries, strawberries, blackberries

16. On the basis of morphology
Multiple Fruits
• Fruits which develop from many ovaries of many flowers,
• E.g. pineapple, Jack fruit, Fig

17. On the basis of bearing habit
Six categories
• Fruit buds borne terminally and giving rise to inflorescence without leaves. e.g. Mango, Cherry, etc.
• Fruit buds borne terminally and unfolding to produce leafy shoots which terminate in flower clusters. e.g. Apple
• Fruit buds borne terminally and unfolding to produce leafy shoots with flower or flower clusters e.g Guava
• Fruit bud borne laterally containing flower parts only and giving rise to inflorescence without leaves or leaves
present, they are reduced in size., e.g. Citrus
• Fruit bud borne laterally and unfolding to produce leafy shoots terminally in flower clusters this type of flowering is
noticed in grapes and cashewnut.
• Fruit buds borne laterally and unfolding to produce leafy shoots with flower clusters in leafy axils., eg.Fig.

18. Fruit buds borne terminally and giving rise to inflorescence without leaves

19. Fruit buds borne terminally and unfolding to produce leafy shoots which
terminate in flower clusters

20. Fruit buds borne terminally and unfolding to produce leafy shoots with
flower or flower clusters

21. Fruit bud borne laterally containing flower parts only and giving rise to
inflorescence without leaves or leaves present, they are reduced in size

22. Fruit bud borne laterally and unfolding to produce leafy shoots terminally in
flower clusters

23. Fruit buds borne laterally and unfolding to produce leafy shoots with flower
clusters in leafy axils

24. Fruits classified based on rate of respiration
Climacteric Fruit
• Mango, Banana, Sapota, Guava, Papaya, Apple, Fig,
Peach, Pear, Plum, Annona, Tomato
Non-climacteric Fruit
• Citrus, Grape, Pomegranate Pineapple Litchi, Ber,
Jamun, Cashew, Cucumber, Cherry, Strawberry
Climacteric fruits produce much larger amount of
ethylene than non climacteric fruits

25. Classification based on relative salt tolerance
Based on relative salt tolerance fruits are classified as
Highly tolerant Medium Tolerant Highly sensitive
• Datepalm
• Ber
• Amla
• Guava
• Coconut
• Pomegranate
• Cashew
• Fig
• Jamun
• Phalsa
• Mango
• Apple
• Citrus
• Pear
• Straw berry

26. Classification based on relative acid Tolerance
Highly tolerant Medium Tolerant
• Strawberry
• Raspberry
• Fig
• Bael
• Plum
• Pineapple
• Avocado
• Litchi

27. Classification based on photoperiodic responses
Long day Short day Day neutral plant
• Passion fruit
• Banana
• Apple
• Strawberry
• Pineapple
• Coffee
• Papaya
• Guava

28. Botanical classification
Monocotyledanae
Common name Botanical name Family Type of fruit Chromosome No
Banana Musa paradisiaca Musaceae Berry 22,33,44
Pineapple Ananas comosus Bromeliaceae Sorosis 50
Date palm Phoenix dactylifera Palmae Drupe 36

29. Botanical classification
Dicotyledanae
Common name Botanical name Family Type of fruit Chromosome No
Mango Mangifera indica Anacardiaceae Drupe 40
Pistachionut Pistachia vera Anacardiaceae Nut
Cashew Anacardium occidentalle Anacardiaceae Nut
Custardapple/Seetaphal Annona squamosa Annonaceae Aggregate of berry
Guava Pisidium guajava Myrtaceae Berry 22
Jack fruit Atrocarpus heterophyllus Moraceae Sorosis 56
Bread fruit Artocarpus altilis Moraceae Sorosis 56

30. Botanical classification
Dicotyledanae
Common name Botanical name Family Type of fruit Chromosome No
Papaya Carica papaya Caricaceae Berry 18
Aonla/Nelli Emblica officinalis Euphorbiaceae Berry 28
Mongosteen Garcinia mangostana Guttiferae Berry 24
Avacado Perisa americana Lauraceae Berry 24
Tamarind Tamarindus indica Leguminosae Pod
West Indian cherry Malphigia puncifolia Malphigiaceae Drupe
Fig Ficus carica Malphigiaceae Berry

31. Botanical classification
Dicotyledanae
Common name Botanical name Family Type of fruit Chromosome No
Guava Psidium guajava Myrtaceae Berry 22
Jamun Syzygium cumini Myrtaceae Drupe
Roseapple Syzygium jambos Myrtaceae Drupe 20
Olive Olea europaea Oleaceae Drupe
Carambola/ Star fruit Averrhoa carambola Oxalidaceae Berry 24
Passion fruit Passiflora edulis Passifloraceae Berry 18
Pomegranate Punica granatum Punicaceae Balasta

32. Botanical classification
Dicotyledanae
Common name Botanical name Family Type of fruit Chromosome No
Ber Ziziphus jujuba Rhamnaceae Drupe
Loquat Eriobotrya japonica Rosaceae Pome 34
Sweet orange Citrus sinensis Rutaceae Hesperidium 18
Mandarin Citrus reticulata Rutaceae Hesperidium 18
Rough lemon Citrus jambheri Rutaceae Hesperidium 18
Lemon Citrus limon Rutaceae Hesperidium 18
Bael Aegle marmelos Rutaceae Amphisarea

33. Botanical classification
Dicotyledanae
Common name Botanical name Family Type of fruit Chromosome No
Wood apple Feronia limonica Rutaceae Amphisarea
Litchi Litchi chinensis Sapindaceae Nut 30
Rumbutan Nephelium lappaceum Sapindaceae Berry 22
Sapota
(Achras zapota)
Manilkara achras Sapotaceae Berry 26
Phalsa Grewia subenaequalis Tiliaceae Drupe
Grape Vitis vinifera Vitaceae Berry
38

34. Classification based on sources of nutrients
Fruits- as sources of vitamins
• Vitamin-A- Mango, Papaya, Jack, Banana, Dates.
• Vitamin-B- Cashew nut, Almond, Banana, Apple, Bale, Litchi, Papaya and Pomegranate.
• Vitamin-C- Aonla, Citrus fruits, Pineapple, Ber, Guava, Strawberry, Tamarind etc.
• Fruits as a source of minerals (Ca, Fe, P) - Almond, Cashew, Guava, Jamun, Fig, Karonda, and Mango.
• Digestive enzymes- Papaya- papaine-9, proteolitic enzyme.