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Re: figs; veg or fruit?
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!
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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