Berry (botany)

{{short description|Botanical fruit with fleshy pericarp, containing one or many seeds}} {{for multi|the everyday, culinary use of the term|Berry|other uses|Berry (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}} [[File:Ribes rubrum2005-07-17.JPG|250px|thumb|right|Redcurrants, a type of berry derived from a simple (one-locule) inferior ovary]] [[File:Kiwi (Actinidia chinensis) 1 Luc Viatour.jpg|thumb|right|Kiwifruit, a berry derived from a compound (many carpellate) superior ovary]]

In botany, a '''berry''' is a fleshy fruit produced from a single flower containing one ovary.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last1=Evans |editor-first1=Jo |year=2017 |title=Ultimate Visual Dictionary |url=https://archive.org/details/ultimate-visual-dictionary-by-dk-z-lib.org/page/148 |edition=revised and updated |publisher=Dorling Kindersley Publishing |location=New York, USA |pages=148–149 |isbn=978-1-4654-5894-0 }}</ref> Berries so defined include grapes, currants, and tomatoes, as well as cucumbers, eggplants (aubergines), persimmons and bananas, but exclude certain fruits that meet the culinary definition of berries, such as strawberries and raspberries. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire outer layer of the ovary wall ripens into a potentially edible "pericarp". Berries may be formed from one or more carpels from the same flower (i.e. from a simple or a compound ovary).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Hongyan |last2=Li |first2=Jun |last3=Gong |first3=Pichang |last4=He |first4=Chaoying |title=The origin and evolution of carpels and fruits from an evo-devo perspective |journal=Journal of Integrative Plant Biology |date=2023 |volume=65 |issue=2 |pages=283–298 |doi=10.1111/jipb.13351 |pmid=36031801 |bibcode=2023JIPB...65..283L |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jipb.13351 |issn=1744-7909}}</ref>{{rp|291}} The seeds are usually embedded in the fleshy interior of the ovary, but there are some non-fleshy exceptions, such as ''Capsicum'' species, with air rather than pulp around their seeds.

Many berries are edible, but others, such as the fruits of the potato and the deadly nightshade, are poisonous to humans.

A plant that bears berries is said to be '''bacciferous''' or '''baccate'''{{efn|group=Note|A fruit that resembles a berry, whether it is one or not, can also be called "baccate".}} (from Latin ''{{wikt-lang|la|bacca}}'').

In everyday English, a "berry" is any small edible fruit. Berries are usually juicy, round, brightly coloured, sweet or sour, and do not have a stone or pit, although many small seeds may be present.<ref name=MW/>

== Botanical berries == thumb|upright=2|Diagram of a grape berry, showing the pericarp and its layers thumb|upright|Coffee cherries (''Coffea arabica'') – described as drupes or berries In botanical language, a berry is a simple fruit having seeds and fleshy pulp (the pericarp) produced from the ovary of a single flower. The ovary can be inferior or superior. It is indehiscent, i.e. it does not have a special "line of weakness" along which it splits to release the seeds when ripe.<ref name=KigePort_berry/> The pericarp is divided into three layers. The outer layer is called the "exocarp" or "epicarp"; the middle layer, the "mesocarp" or "sarcocarp"; the inner layer, the "endocarp". Botanists have not applied these terms consistently. Exocarp and endocarp may be restricted to more-or-less single-layered "skins", or may include tissues adjacent to them; thus on one view, the exocarp extends inwards to the layer of vascular bundles ("veins"). The inconsistency in usage has been described as "a source of confusion".{{sfnp|Pabón-Mora|Litt|2011|p=1417}}

The nature of the endocarp distinguishes a berry from a drupe, which has a hardened or stony endocarp (see also below). The two kinds of fruit intergrade, depending on the state of the endocarp. Some sources have attempted to quantify the difference, e.g. requiring the endocarp to be less than 2 mm thick in a berry.<ref name=Been10/>

Examples of botanical berries include: {{colbegin|colwidth=30em}} * Avocado contains a single large seed surrounded by an imperceptible endocarp.<ref name="storey">{{cite journal |author=Storey, W. B. |url=http://ucavo.ucr.edu/General/FruitBerry.html |title=What kind of fruit is the avocado? |journal=California Avocado Society 1973–74 Yearbook |volume=57 |pages=70–71 |year=1973}}</ref> Avocados are, however, also sometimes classified as drupes.<ref name=FNA>{{cite book |first1=B. Eugene |last1=Wofford |contribution=Persea |contribution-url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=124627 |access-date=2019-05-30 |editor-last=Flora of North America Editorial Committee|title=Flora of North America ''(online)'' |publisher=eFloras.org}}</ref> * Banana<ref name=Morton/><ref name=Armstrong/> * Barberry (''Berberis''), Oregon-grape (''Berberis aquifolium'') and mayapple (''Podophyllum'' spp.) (Berberidaceae) * Strawberry tree (''Arbutus unedo'') (not to be confused with the strawberry (''Fragaria''), which is an accessory fruit), bearberry (''Arctostaphylos'' spp.), bilberry, blueberry, cranberry, lingonberry/cowberry (''Vaccinium vitis-idaea''), crowberry (''Empetrum'' spp.) (family Ericaceae) * Coffee berries (Rubiaceae) (also described as drupes)<ref name=DaviGovaBridStof06>{{cite journal |last1=Davis |first1=Aaron P. |last2=Govaerts |first2=Rafael |last3=Bridson |first3=Diane M. |last4=Stoffelen |first4=Piet |date=2006 |title=An annotated taxonomic conspectus of the genus ''Coffea'' (Rubiaceae) |journal=Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=152 |issue=4 |pages=465–512 |doi=10.1111/j.1095-8339.2006.00584.x |name-list-style=amp |doi-access=free}} "fruit a berry containing two (rarely one) seeds"</ref> * Gooseberry and currant (''Ribes'' spp.; Grossulariaceae), red, black, and white types * Aubergine/Eggplant, tomato, goji berries (wolfberry) and other species of the family Solanaceae * Elderberry (''Sambucus niger''; Adoxaceae) * Indian gooseberry ''(Phyllanthus emblica)'' (Phyllanthaceae) * ''Garcinia gummi-gutta'', ''Garcinia mangostana'' (mangosteen) and ''Garcinia indica'' in the family Clusiaceae * Sapodilla (''Manilkara zapota''), Sapotaceae<ref name=Heywood>{{cite book |first1=V.H. |last1=Heywood |first2=R.K. |last2=Brummitt |first3=A. |last3=Culham |first4=O. |last4=Seberg |date=2007 |title=Flowering plant families of the world |publisher=Firefly Books |isbn=978-1-55407-206-4}}</ref>{{rp|295}} * Grape, ''Vitis vinifera'' in the family Vitaceae * Honeysuckle: the berries of ''some'' species are edible and are called honeyberries, but others are poisonous (''Lonicera'' spp.; Caprifoliaceae) * Persimmon (Ebenaceae)<ref name=Heywood/>{{rp|135}} * Pumpkin, cucumber and watermelon in the family Cucurbitaceae<ref name=Heywood/>{{rp|116}} {{colend}} <gallery> File:Akebia quinata (fruits s13).jpg|Akebi File:Fuyu Persimmon (Diospyros Kaki).jpg|Persimmon File:Starr-140925-2018-Pouteria caimito-fruit-Pali o Waipio Huelo-Maui (24616024964).jpg|Abiu File:Cucumis melo var. reticulatus (photo by Scott Bauer).jpg|Cantaloupe File:Ackee 001.jpg|Ackee </gallery>

=== Modified berries ===  thumb|Cross-section of a cucumber pepo (''Cucumis sativus'') "True berries", or "baccae", may also be required to have a thin outer skin, not self-supporting when removed from the berry. This distinguishes, for example, a ''Vaccinium'' or ''Solanum'' berry from an ''Adansonia'' (baobab) amphisarca, which has a dry, more rigid and self-supporting skin.<ref name=Spjut_a/> The fruit of citrus, such as the orange, kumquat and lemon, is a berry with a thick rind and a very juicy interior divided into segments by septa, which is given the special name "hesperidium".<ref name=Spjut_a/> A special term, pepo, is also used for fruits of the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, which have a hard outer rind but are not internally divided by septa.<ref name=Spjut_a/> The fruits of ''Passiflora'' (passion fruit) and ''Carica'' (papaya) are sometimes also considered pepos.<ref name=Spjut_a/>

Berries that develop from an inferior ovary are sometimes termed epigynous berries or false berries, as opposed to true berries, which develop from a superior ovary. In epigynous berries, the berry includes tissue derived from parts of the flower other than the ovary. The floral tube, formed from the basal part of the sepals, petals, and stamens, can become fleshy at maturity and is united with the ovary to form the fruit. Common fruits that are sometimes classified as epigynous berries include bananas, coffee, members of the genus ''Vaccinium'' (e.g., cranberries and blueberries), and members of the family Cucurbitaceae (gourds, cucumbers, melons and squash).<ref name=Gupt07/>

== Berry-like fruits == {{anchor|Berry-like}} {{multiple image | caption_align = center | header_align = center | align = center | total_width = 800 | image1 = Berries (USDA ARS).jpg | width1 = 1792 | height1 = 2700 | alt1 = | caption1 = Several types of common "berries" | image2 = Closeup of blackthorn aka sloe aka prunus spinosa sweden 20050924.jpg | width2 = 2592 | height2 = 1944 | alt2 = | caption2 = Sloes (fruits of ''Prunus spinosa'') | image3 = Branch and fruit of the Maluma avocado cultivar.jpg | width3 = 4480 | height3 = 3906 | alt3 = | caption3 = Avocados (fruit of ''Persea americana'') | image4 = Amelanchier ovalis3.JPG | width4 = 600 | height4 = 800 | alt4 = | caption4 = Serviceberries (''Amelanchier alnifolia'') | image5 = Morus nigra 001.JPG | width5 = 1301 | height5 = 1734 | caption5 = Ripe mulberry (fruit of ''Morus nigra'') | footer = In the first image, only the blueberry is botanically a berry: blackberries are aggregate fruit composed of many drupelets, and strawberries are aggregate accessory fruits. Sloes, the fruits of ''Prunus spinosa'', are drupes. Avocado fruit are described as either drupes or berries. Serviceberries, fruits of ''Amelanchier'' species, are pomes. Mulberries, the fruits of ''Morus nigra'', are multiple fruits. }} Many fruits which are berries in the culinary definition are not berries in the botanic sense, but fall into one of the following categories:

=== Drupes === {{main|Drupe}} Drupes are varyingly distinguished from botanical berries. Drupes are fleshy fruits produced from a (usually) single-seeded ovary with a hard woody layer (called the endocarp) surrounding the seed. Familiar examples include the stonefruits of the genus ''Prunus'' (peaches, plums and cherries), olives, coconut, dates, bayberry and ''Persea'' species. Some definitions make the mere presence of an internally differentiated endocarp the defining feature of a drupe;<ref name=Spjut_a/> others qualify the nature of the endocarp required in a drupe, e.g. defining berries to have endocarp less than 2 mm thick.<ref name=Been10/> The term "drupaceous" is used to describe fruits that have the general structure and texture of a drupe,<ref name=KigePort_drupaceous/> without necessarily meeting the full definition. Other drupe-like fruits with a single seed that lack the stony endocarp include sea-buckthorn (''Hippophae rhamnoides'', Elaeagnaceae), which is an achene, surrounded by a swollen hypanthium that provides the fleshy layer.<ref name=Stac10p277/> Fruits of ''Coffea'' species are described as either drupes or berries.<ref name=DaviGovaBridStof06/>

=== Pomes === {{main|Pome}} The pome fruits produced by plants in subtribe Pyrinae of family Rosaceae, such as apples and pears, have a structure (the core) in which tough tissue separates the seeds from the outer softer pericarp.<ref name=KigePort_pome/> Although pomes are not botanical berries, ''Amelanchier'' pomes become soft at maturity, resembling a blueberry, and are commonly called Juneberries, serviceberries or Saskatoon berries.<ref name=FNA_101333/>

=== Aggregate fruits === {{main|Aggregate fruit}} Aggregate or compound fruits contain seeds from different ovaries of a single flower, with the individual "fruitlets" joined at maturity to form the complete fruit.<ref name=KigePort_aggregate_fruit/> Examples of aggregate fruits commonly called "berries" include members of the genus ''Rubus'', such as blackberry and raspberry.<ref name=FoC_128837/> Botanically, these are not berries. Other large aggregate fruits, such as soursop (''Annona muricata''),<ref name=HeywMoorRichStea78>{{cite book |last=Mabberley |first=D.J. |year=1978 |contribution=Annonaceae |editor-last=Heywood |editor-first=V.H. |editor2-last=Moore |editor2-first=D.M. |editor3-last=Richardson |editor3-first=I.B.K. |editor4-last=Stearn |editor4-first=W.T. |title=Flowering Plants of the World |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-217674-5 |name-list-style=amp }}</ref> are not usually called "berries", although some sources do use this term.<ref name=EB>{{cite web |title=Annonaceae |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/plant/Annonaceae |access-date=2015-08-22}}</ref>

=== Multiple fruits === {{main|Multiple fruit}} Multiple fruits are not botanical berries. Multiple fruits are the fruits of two or more multiple flowers that are merged or packed closely together.<ref name=KigePort_multiple_fruit/> The mulberry is a berry-like example of a multiple fruit; it develops from a cluster of tiny separate flowers that become compressed as they develop into fruit.<ref name=AHSD/>

=== Accessory fruits === {{main|Accessory fruit}} Accessory fruits are not botanical berries. In accessory fruits, the edible part is not generated by the ovary. Berry-like examples include: * Strawberry – the non-fleshy aggregate of seed-like achenes on its exterior is actually the "fruit", derived from an aggregate of ovaries; the fleshy part develops instead from the receptacle. * Mock strawberry (''Duchesnea indica)'' – structured just like a strawberry. * Sea grape (''Coccoloba uvifera''; Polygonaceae) – the fruit is a dry capsule surrounded by fleshy calyx.

== Berry-like conifer seed cones == [[File:Taxus baccata MHNT.jpg |thumb|right|Yew "berries" are female conifer cones.]] The female seed cones of some conifers have fleshy and merged scales, giving them a berry-like appearance. Juniper "berries" (family Cupressaceae), in particular those of ''Juniperus communis'', are used to flavour gin. The seed cones of species in the families Podocarpaceae and Taxaceae have a bright colour when fully developed, increasing the resemblance to true berries. The "berries" of yews (''Taxus'' species) consist of a female seed cone with which develops a fleshy red aril partially enclosing the poisonous seed.{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}

== History of terminology == thumb|Some fruits classified as ''bacca'' (berries) by Gaertner (''De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum'', Tab. 28) The Latin word ''{{lang|la|baca}}'' or ''{{lang|la|bacca}}'' (plural ''{{lang|la|baccae}}'') was originally used for "any small round fruit".<ref name=Stea04p376/> Andrea Caesalpinus (1519–1603) classified plants into trees and herbs, further dividing them by properties of their flowers and fruit. He did not make the modern distinction between "fruits" and "seeds", calling hard structures like nuts ''{{lang|la|semina}}'' or seeds. A fleshy fruit was called a ''{{lang|la|pericarpium}}''. For Caesalpinus, a true ''{{lang|la|bacca}}'' or berry was a ''{{lang|la|pericarpium}}'' derived from a flower with a superior ovary; one derived from a flower with an inferior ovary was called a ''{{lang|la|pomum}}''.<ref name=Vine13/>

In 1751, Carl Linnaeus wrote ''Philosophia Botanica'', considered to be the first textbook of descriptive systematic botany.{{sfnp|Stearn|2004|p=35}} He used eight different terms for fruits, one of which was ''{{lang|la|bacca}}'' or berry, distinguished from other types of fruit such as ''{{lang|la|drupa}}'' (drupe) and ''{{lang|la|pomum}}'' (pome).<ref name=Spjut_b/> A ''{{lang|la|bacca}}'' was defined as "''{{lang|la|pericarpium farctum evalve, semina ceteroquin nuda continens}}''", meaning "unvalved solid pericarp, containing otherwise naked seeds".<ref name=Linn51p53/> The adjective "''{{lang|la|farctus}}''" here has the sense of "solid with tissue softer than the outside; stuffed".{{sfn|Stearn|2004|p=411}} A berry or ''{{lang|la|bacca}}'' was distinguished from a drupe and a pome, both of which also had an unvalved solid pericarp; a drupe also contained a nut (''{{lang|la|nux}}'') and a pome a capsule (''{{lang|la|capsula}}''), rather than the berry's naked seeds.<ref name=Linn51p53/> Linnaeus' use of ''{{lang|la|bacca}}'' and ''{{lang|la|pomum}}'' was thus significantly different from that of Caesalpinus. Botanists continue to differ on how fruit should be classified.<ref name=Spjut_b/>

Joseph Gaertner published a two-volume work, ''De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum'' (on the fruits and seeds of plants) between 1788 and 1792. In addition to Linnaeus' eight terms, he introduced seven more, including ''{{lang|la|pepo}}'' for the berry-like fruits of cucurbits.<ref name=Spjut_b/> A pepo was distinguished by being a fleshy berry with the seeds distant from the axis, and so nearer the fruit wall<ref name=Gaer8892/> (i.e. by having "parietal placentation" in modern terminology). Nicaise Auguste Desvaux in 1813 used the terms ''{{lang|la|hesperidium}}'' and ''{{lang|la|amphisarca}}'' as further subdivisions of berries.<ref name=Spjut_b/> A hesperidium, called by others ''{{lang|la|bacca corticata}}'' (berry with a cortex), had separate internal compartments (''"{{lang|fr|loges}}"'' in the original French) and a separable membraneous epicarp or skin. An amphisarca was described as woody on the outside and fleshy on the inside.<ref name=Desv13/> "Hesperidium" remains in general use, but "amphisarca" is rarely used.<ref name=Spjut_b/>

There remains no universally agreed system of classification for fruits, and there continues to be "confusion over classification of fruit types and the definitions given to fruit terms".<ref name=Spjut_b/>

==Evolution and phylogenetic significance== [[File:Ruhr-Uni-Bochum-0024.JPG|thumb|upright|Flowers and berries of ''Cestrum tomentosum'']] By definition, berries have a fleshy, indehiscent pericarp, as opposed to a dry, dehiscent pericarp. Fossils show that early flowering plants had dry fruits; fleshy fruits, such as berries or drupes, appeared only towards the end of the Cretaceous Period or the beginning of the Paleogene Period, about {{Ma|paleogene|million years ago}}. The increasing importance of seed dispersal by fruit-eating vertebrates, both mammals and birds, may have driven the evolution of fleshy fruits. Alternatively, the causal direction may be the other way around. Large fleshy fruits are associated with moist habitats with closed tree canopies, where wind dispersal of dry fruits is less effective. Such habitats were increasingly common in the Paleogene and the associated change in fruit type may have led to the evolution of fruit-eating in mammals and birds.<ref name=Knap02/>

Fruit type has been considered to be a useful character in classification and in understanding the phylogeny of plants.<ref name=ClauMeyeRenn00/> The evolution of fruits with a berry-like pericarp has been studied in various flowering plant families. Repeated transitions between fleshy and dry pericarps have been demonstrated regularly. One well-studied family is the Solanaceae, because of the commercial importance of fruit such as tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplants or aubergines. Capsules, which are dry dehiscent fruits, appear to be the original form of the fruit in the earliest diverging members of the family. Berries have then evolved at least three times: in ''Cestrum'', ''Duboisia'', and in the subfamily Solanoideae. Detailed anatomical and developmental studies have shown that the berries of ''Cestrum'' and those of the Solanoideae are significantly different; for example, expansion of the fruit during development involves cell divisions in the mesocarp in Solanoideae berries, but not in ''Cestrum'' berries.<ref name=PaboLitt11/>

When fruits described as berries were studied in the family Melastomaceae, they were found to be highly variable in structure, some being soft with an endocarp that soon broke down, others having a hard, persistent endocarp, even woody in some species.<ref name=ClauMeyeRenn00/> Fruits classified as berries are thus not necessarily homologous, with the fleshy part being derived from different parts of the ovary, and with other structural and developmental differences. The presence or absence of berries is not a reliable guide to phylogeny.<ref name=Knap02/> Indeed, fruit type in general has proved to be an unreliable guide to flowering plant relationships.<ref name=ClauMeyeRenn00/>

==Uses== ===Culinary=== [[File:Zapotes.jpg|thumb|right|A type of sapote fruit displayed for sale (''Quararibea cordata'')]] [[File:Refreshing palm wine.jpg|thumb|right|Bottle gourd or calabash used to contain palm wine in Bandundu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo]] [[File:HK 海怡半島 South Horizons 住戶俱樂部 Residents Club Dinner 寶湖酒家 Treasure Lake Restaurant Madarines 柑 fruit Jan-2013.JPG|thumb|Mandarins, here served in a Hong Kong restaurant, are among the oldest cultivated citrus fruits.]] Berries, defined loosely, have been valuable as a food source to humans since before the start of agriculture,{{Citation needed|date=January 2019}} and remain among the primary food sources of other primates. Botanically defined berries with culinary uses include: * Berries in the strictest sense: including bananas and plantains, blueberries, cranberries, coffee berries, gooseberries, red-, black- and white currants, tomatoes, grapes and peppers (''Capsicum'' fruits) * Hesperidia: citrus fruits, including oranges, lemons and limes * Pepos: cucurbits, including squashes, cucumbers, melons and watermelons

Some berries are brightly coloured, due to plant pigments such as anthocyanins and other flavonoids. These pigments are localized mainly in the outer surface and the seeds.<ref name=Wrol01/> Such pigments have antioxidant properties ''in vitro'',<ref name=Wu04/> but there is no reliable evidence that they have antioxidant or any other useful functions within the human body. Consequently, it is not permitted to claim that foods containing plant pigments have antioxidant health value on product labels in the United States or Europe.<ref name=FDA08/><ref name=EFSA10/>

Some spices are prepared from berries. Allspice is made from the dried berries of ''Pimenta dioica''.<ref name=Weis02p122/> The fruits (berries) of different cultivars of ''Capsicum annuum'' are used to make paprika (mildly hot), chili pepper (hot) and cayenne pepper (very hot).{{sfnp|Weiss|2002|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=RqqTdAwXev4C&pg=PA216 216]}}

===Others=== Pepos, characterized by a hard outer rind, have also been used as containers by removing the inner flesh and seeds and then drying the remaining exocarp. The English name of ''Lagenaria siceraria'', "bottle gourd", reflects its use as a liquid container.<ref name=Eric05/>

Some true berries have also been used as a source of dyes. In Hawaii, these included berries from a species of ''Dianella'', used to produce blue, and berries from black nightshade (''Solanum americanum''), used to produce green.<ref name=Kroh80p13/>

===History=== Cucurbit berries or pepos, particularly from ''Cucurbita'' and ''Lagenaria'', are the earliest plants known to be domesticated – before 9,000–10,000 BP in the Americas, and probably by 12,000–13,000 BP in Asia.<ref name=Eric05/> Peppers were domesticated in Mesoamerica by 8,000 BP.<ref name=Agui09/><ref name=Kraf14/> Many other early cultivated plants were also berries by the strict botanical definition, including grapes, domesticated by 8,000 BP<ref name=Myl11/><ref name=Verg15/> and known to have been used in wine production by 6,000 BP.<ref name=DN15/>

Bananas were first domesticated in Papua New Guinea and Southeast Asia. Archaeological and palaeoenvironmental evidence at Kuk Swamp in the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea suggests that banana cultivation there goes back to at least 7,000 BP, and possibly to 10,000 BP.<ref name=apscience/><ref name=Denh03/>

The history of cultivated citrus fruit remains unclear, although some recent research suggests a possible origin in Papuasia rather than continental southeast Asia. Chinese documents show that mandarins and pomelos were established in cultivation there by around 4,200 BP.<ref name=LiuHeyiTanu12/>

===Commercial production=== thumb|Four banana and plantain cultivars [[File:Water melon 2015.jpg|thumb|Watermelon]] thumb|upright|Grapes According to FAOSTAT data, in 2013 four of the five top fruit crops in terms of world production by weight were botanical berries. The other was a pome (apples).{{refn|group=Note|name=FAO_t1|Production Quantity data for 2013 for the World total for all items was downloaded to a spreadsheet from FAOSTAT.<ref name=FAOSTAT_crops/> Items coded 486 to 626, corresponding to fruit, were retained. Data for bananas and plantains were combined, as these are not distinguished by all countries. Data for all citrus fruits were also combined since some countries provide data under a general heading of "citrus fruit". The resulting table was then sorted and the top five entries used.}}

{| class="wikitable" |+ Worldwide fruit production in 2013 ! Name !! Thousands of tonnes !! Fruit type |- | Bananas & plantains ||align=right| 144,592 || Berry |- | Citrus fruit† ||align=right| 135,761|| Berry (hesperidium) |- | Watermelons ||align=right| 109,279 || Berry (pepo) |- | Apples ||align=right| 80,823 || Pome |- | Grapes ||align=right| 77,181 || Berry |} {{small|†Citrus fruit includes but is not limited to, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit (including pomelos), tangerines, mandarins, clementines, and satsumas. Oranges make up 53% of the total.}}

According to FAOSTAT, in 2001, bananas (including plantains) and citrus comprised over 25% by value of the world's exported fruits and vegetables, citrus fruits being more valuable than bananas.<ref name=FAO_y5102e04/> Export quantities of fruit are not entirely comparable with production quantities, since slightly different categories are used. The top five fruit exports by weight in 2012 are shown in the table below. Bananas and citrus occupy the top two places.{{refn|group=Note|name=FAO_t2|Export Quantity data for 2012 for the World total for all items was downloaded to a spreadsheet from FAOSTAT.<ref name=FAOSTAT_crops/> As for production, items coded 486 to 626 (but now excluding 564 wine, not present in the production data) were retained. Data for bananas and plantains were combined, as was data for all citrus fruits. The resulting table was then sorted and the top five entries were used.}}

{| class="wikitable" |+ Worldwide fruit export in 2012 ! Name !! Thousands of tonnes !! Fruit type |- | Bananas & plantains ||align=right| 19,725 || Berry |- | Citrus fruit† ||align=right| 15,262|| Berry (hesperidium) |- | Apples ||align=right| 8,271 || Pome |- | Prepared fruit‡ ||align=right| 7,120 || – |- | Grapes ||align=right| 4,051 || Berry |} {{small|†Citrus fruit includes oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit (including pomelos), tangerines, mandarins, clementines, and satsumas. Oranges make up 43% of the total. ‡Prepared fruit here is "fruit, nuts and peel, including frozen, prepared or preserved, jam, paste, marmalade, purée and cooked fruits, other than those listed separately".<ref name=FAO_def>{{cite web |title=Definition and Classification of Commodities: 8 Fruits and derived products |url=http://www.fao.org/waicent/faoinfo/economic/faodef/fdef08e.htm#8.06 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |access-date=22 August 2015 |archive-date=21 February 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970221061345/http://www.fao.org/waicent/faoinfo/economic/faodef/fdef08e.htm#8.06 |url-status=dead}}</ref>}}

== See also == *List of culinary fruits

== Notes == {{notelist}}{{reflist|group=Note}}

== References == {{reflist|30em|refs= <ref name=Agui09>{{cite journal |last1=Aguilar-Melendez |first1=A. |last2=Morrell |first2=P.L. |last3=Roose |first3=M.L. |last4=Kim |first4=S.-C. |title=Genetic diversity and structure in semiwild and domesticated chilies (''Capsicum annuum''; Solanaceae) from Mexico |journal=American Journal of Botany |date=1 June 2009 |volume=96 |issue=6 |pages=1190–1202 |doi=10.3732/ajb.0800155 |pmid=21628269 |name-list-style=amp |doi-access=free|bibcode=2009AmJB...96.1190A }}</ref>

<ref name=AHSD>{{cite book |title=The American Heritage Science Dictionary |via=Google Books |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yKUagx8PB_EC&pg=PA66 |access-date=26 August 2013 |isbn=0618455043 |author=American Heritage Dictionary |year=2005 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt}}</ref>

<ref name=apscience>{{cite web |title=Tracing antiquity of banana cultivation in Papua New Guinea |publisher=The Australia & Pacific Science Foundation |url=http://apscience.org.au/projects/PBF_02_3/pbf_02_3.htm |access-date=2007-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070829105533/http://www.apscience.org.au/projects/PBF_02_3/pbf_02_3.htm |archive-date=2007-08-29}}</ref>

<ref name=Armstrong>{{cite web |last=Armstrong |first=Wayne P. |title=Identification Of Major Fruit Types |work=Wayne's Word: An On-Line Textbook of Natural History |url=http://waynesword.palomar.edu/fruitid1.htm |access-date=17 August 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120221956/http://waynesword.palomar.edu/fruitid1.htm |archive-date=20 November 2011 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

<ref name=Been10>{{cite book |last1=Beentje |first1=Henk |last2=Williamson |first2=Juliet |year=2010 |title=The Kew Plant Glossary: an Illustrated Dictionary of Plant Terms |publisher=Kew Publishing |location=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |isbn=978-1-84246-422-9 |name-list-style=amp}}</ref>

<ref name=ClauMeyeRenn00>{{Citation |last1=Clausing |first1=Gudrun |last2=Meyer |first2=Karsten |last3=Renner |first3=Susanne S. |year=2000 |title=Correlations among fruit traits and evolution of different fruits within Melastomataceae |journal=Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=133 |issue=3 |pages=303–326|doi=10.1006/bojl.1999.0340 |name-list-style=amp |doi-access=free }}</ref>

<ref name=Denh03>{{Cite journal |last1=Denham |first1=T.P. |last2=Haberle |first2=S.G. |last3=Lentfer |first3=C. |last4=Fullagar |first4=R. |last5=Field |first5=J. |last6=Therin |first6=M. |last7=Porch|first7= N.|last8=Winsborough|first8= B. |date=2003 |title=Origins of Agriculture at Kuk Swamp in the Highlands of New Guinea |journal=Science |volume=301|issue=5630 |pages=189–193 |doi=10.1126/science.1085255 |name-list-style=amp |pmid=12817084|s2cid=10644185 |url=https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:163692/HCA10UQ163692.pdf }}</ref>

<ref name=Desv13>{{Cite journal |last=Desvaux |first=N.A. |year=1813 |title=Essai sur les différens genres de fruits des plantes phanérogames |journal=Journal de Botanique, appliqué a l'Agriculture, a la Pharmacie, a la Médecine, et aux Arts |volume=2 |pages=161–183 |language=fr }}</ref>

<ref name=DN15>{{cite web |title=Oldest Winery Unearthed in Armenian Cave |website=Discovery News |url=http://news.discovery.com/history/art-history/winery-oldest-armenia-110111.htm |access-date=17 August 2015 |archive-date=2 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602055416/http://news.discovery.com/history/art-history/winery-oldest-armenia-110111.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name=EFSA10>{{cite journal |author=((EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA)2, 3)) |title=Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to various food(s)/food constituent(s) and protection of cells from premature aging, antioxidant activity, antioxidant content, and antioxidant properties, and protection of DNA, proteins, and lipids from oxidative damage pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/20061 |journal=EFSA Journal |volume=8 |issue=2 |page=1489 |year=2010 |publisher=European Food Safety Authority |location=Parma, Italy |doi=10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1489 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

<ref name=Eric05>{{cite journal |last1=Erickson |first1=D.L. |last2=Smith |first2=B.D. |last3=Clarke |first3=A.C. |last4=Sandweiss |first4=D.H. |last5=Tuross |first5=N. |title=An Asian origin for a 10,000-year-old domesticated plant in the Americas |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=13 December 2005 |volume=102 |issue=51 |pages=18315–18320 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0509279102 |name-list-style=amp |pmid=16352716 |pmc=1311910|bibcode=2005PNAS..10218315E |doi-access=free }}</ref>

<ref name=FAO_y5102e04>{{cite web |title=Overview of World Banana Production and Trade |website=FAO.org |url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5102e/y5102e04.htm |access-date=11 August 2015}}</ref>

<ref name=FDA08>{{cite web |title=Guidance for Industry, Food Labeling; Nutrient Content Claims; Definition for "High Potency" and Definition for "Antioxidant" for Use in Nutrient Content Claims for Dietary Supplements and Conventional Foods |publisher=U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition |date=June 2008 |url=https://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/FDA-1995-N-0400-GDL.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605114915/http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/FDA-1995-N-0400-GDL.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 June 2011 }}</ref>

<ref name=FNA_101333>{{cite book |first1=Christopher S. |last1=Campbell |first2=Michael B. |last2=Burgess |first3=Kevin R. |last3=Cushman |contribution=Amelanchier |contribution-url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=101333 |access-date=2015-08-21 |name-list-style=amp |editor-last=Flora of North America Editorial Committee |title=Flora of North America ''(online)'' |publisher=eFloras.org }}</ref>

<ref name=FAOSTAT_crops>{{cite web |title=Download data |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Statistics Division (FAOSTAT) |url=http://faostat3.fao.org/download/Q/QC/E |access-date=22 August 2015 }}</ref>

<ref name=FoC_128837>{{cite book |first1=Lingdi |last1=Lu |first2=David E. |last2=Boufford |contribution=Rubus |contribution-url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=128837 |access-date=2015-08-21 |editor-last=Wu |editor-first=Zhengyi |editor2-last=Raven |editor2-first=Peter H. |editor3-last=Hong |editor3-first=Deyuan |title=Flora of China ''(online)'' |publisher=eFloras.org |url=http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=2 |name-list-style=amp }}</ref>

<ref name=Gaer8892>{{cite book |last=Gaertner |first=Joseph |date=1788–1792 |title=De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-cpAAAAAcAAJ&q=De%20Fructibus%20et%20Seminibus%20Plantarum&pg=PR97 |page=XCVII |language=la |quote=''{{lang|la|Pepo, qui vulgo majorem Cucurbitae fructum denotat, nobis generatim dicitur bacca carnosa, cuius loculamenta ab axi remota, et prope fructus peripheriam ita posita sunt, ut etiam semina, ejus parietibus affigantur.}}'' (a fleshy berry, whose locules are remote from the axis, and are so positioned near the periphery of the fruit, that as well as the seeds, they are affixed to its walls, is generally called by us 'pepo', which usually denotes the larger fruit of cucurbits)}}</ref>

<ref name=Gupt07>{{cite book |last=Gupta |first=P.K. |date=2007 |title=Genetics Classical To Modern |publisher=Rastogi Publications |isbn=978-81-7133-896-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uIfSEdff6YgC }}</ref>

<ref name=KigePort_aggregate_fruit>{{cite web |first1=Robert W. |last1=Kiger |first2=Duncan M. |last2=Porter |date=2001 |title=Find term 'aggregate fruit' |website=Categorical Glossary for the Flora of North America Project |url=http://fmhibd.library.cmu.edu/HIBD-DB/FNA/findrecords.php |access-date=2015-08-14 |name-list-style=amp |archive-date=20 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520101251/http://fmhibd.library.cmu.edu/HIBD-DB/FNA/findrecords.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name=KigePort_berry>{{cite web |first1=Robert W. |last1=Kiger |first2=Duncan M. |last2=Porter |date=2001 |title=Find term 'berry' |website=Categorical Glossary for the Flora of North America Project |url=http://fmhibd.library.cmu.edu/HIBD-DB/FNA/findrecords.php |access-date=2015-08-14 |name-list-style=amp |archive-date=20 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520101251/http://fmhibd.library.cmu.edu/HIBD-DB/FNA/findrecords.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name=KigePort_drupaceous>{{cite web |first1=Robert W. |last1=Kiger |first2=Duncan M. |last2=Porter |date=2001 |title=Find term 'drupaceous' |website=Categorical Glossary for the Flora of North America Project |url=http://fmhibd.library.cmu.edu/HIBD-DB/FNA/findrecords.php |access-date=2015-08-14 |name-list-style=amp |archive-date=20 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520101251/http://fmhibd.library.cmu.edu/HIBD-DB/FNA/findrecords.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name=KigePort_multiple_fruit>{{cite web |first1=Robert W. |last1=Kiger |first2=Duncan M. |last2=Porter |date=2001 |title=Find term 'multiple fruit' |website=Categorical Glossary for the Flora of North America Project |url=http://fmhibd.library.cmu.edu/HIBD-DB/FNA/findrecords.php |access-date=2015-08-14 |name-list-style=amp |archive-date=20 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520101251/http://fmhibd.library.cmu.edu/HIBD-DB/FNA/findrecords.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name=KigePort_pome>{{cite web |first1=Robert W. |last1=Kiger |first2=Duncan M. |last2=Porter |date=2001 |title=Find term 'pome' |website=Categorical Glossary for the Flora of North America Project |url=http://fmhibd.library.cmu.edu/HIBD-DB/FNA/findrecords.php |access-date=2015-08-21 |name-list-style=amp |archive-date=20 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520101251/http://fmhibd.library.cmu.edu/HIBD-DB/FNA/findrecords.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name=Knap02>{{Citation |last=Knapp |first=Sandra |year=2002 |title=Tobacco to tomatoes: a phylogenetic perspective on fruit diversity in the Solanaceae |journal=Journal of Experimental Botany |volume=53 |issue=377 |pages=2001–2022 |doi=10.1093/jxb/erf068 |pmid=12324525|doi-access=free }}</ref>

<ref name=Kraf14>{{cite journal |last1=Kraft |first1=K. H. |last2=Brown |first2=C.H. |last3=Nabhan |first3=G.P. |last4=Luedeling |first4=E. |last5=Luna Ruiz |first5=J. d. J. |last6=Coppens d'Eeckenbrugge |first6=G. |last7=Hijmans |first7=R.J. |last8=Gepts |first8=P. |title=Multiple lines of evidence for the origin of domesticated chili pepper, ''Capsicum annuum'', in Mexico |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=21 April 2014 |volume=111 |issue=17 |pages=6165–6170 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1308933111 |name-list-style=amp |pmid=24753581 |pmc=4035960|bibcode=2014PNAS..111.6165K |doi-access=free }}</ref>

<ref name=Kroh80p13>{{cite book |last=Krohn-Ching |first=V. |title=Hawaii Dye Plants and Dye Recipes |publisher=University Press of Hawaii |year=1980 |isbn=978-0-8248-0698-9 }} [https://books.google.com/books?id=zO7Gv4OqA2oC&pg=PA13 p. 13]</ref>

<ref name=Linn51p53>{{cite book |last=Linnaeus |first=Carl |date=1751 |title=Philosophia botanica |location=Stockholm, Amsterdam |publisher=R. Kiesewetter, Z. Chatelain |language=la }} p. 53.</ref>

<ref name=LiuHeyiTanu12>{{cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Y. |last2=Heying |first2=E. |last3=Tanumihardjo |first3=S. |s2cid=84685765 |year=2012 |title=History, Global Distribution, and Nutritional Importance of Citrus Fruits |journal=Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety |volume=11 |issue=6 |pages=530–545 |doi=10.1111/j.1541-4337.2012.00201.x|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=Morton>{{cite web |last=Morton |first=Julia |url=http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/banana.html |title=Banana |work=Fruits of Warm Climates |publisher=Hort.purdue.edu |access-date=16 April 2009 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090415160027/http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/banana.html | archive-date=15 April 2009 }}</ref>

<ref name=Myl11>{{cite journal |last1=Myles |first1=S. |last2=Boyko |first2=A. R. |last3=Owens |first3=C. L. |last4=Brown |first4=P. J. |last5=Grassi |first5=F. |last6=Aradhya |first6=M. K. |last7=Prins |first7=B. |last8=Reynolds |first8=A. |last9=Chia |first9=J.-M. |last10=Ware |first10=D. |last11=Bustamante |first11=C. D. |last12=Buckler |first12=E. S. |title=Genetic structure and domestication history of the grape |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=18 January 2011 |volume=108 |issue=9 |pages=3530–3535 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1009363108 |pmid=21245334 |name-list-style=amp|pmc=3048109 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

<ref name=MW>{{cite web |title=Berry |work=Merriam-Webster |date=21 January 2024 |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/berry }}</ref>

<ref name=PaboLitt11>{{Citation |last1=Pabón-Mora |first1=Natalia |last2=Litt |first2=Amy |year=2011 |title=Comparative anatomical and developmental analysis of dry and fleshy fruits of Solanaceae |journal=American Journal of Botany |volume=98 |issue=9 |pages=1415–1436 |doi=10.3732/ajb.1100097 |name-list-style=amp |pmid=21875970|bibcode=2011AmJB...98.1415P }}</ref>

<ref name=Spjut_a>{{cite web |last1=Spjut |first1=Richard W. |title=Classification of Fruit Types |work=A Systematic Treatment of Fruit Types |publisher=The World Botanical Associates |url=http://www.worldbotanical.com/fruit_types.htm#Classification |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329214132/http://worldbotanical.com/fruit_types.htm#Classification |archive-date=2015-03-29 |access-date=2015-08-16 }}</ref>

<ref name=Spjut_b>{{cite web |last1=Spjut |first1=Richard W. |title=The Need for Standardized Meanings to Fruit Terms: An Historical Perspective |work=A Systematic Treatment of Fruit Types |publisher=The World Botanical Associates |url=http://www.worldbotanical.com/fruit_types.htm#Classification |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329214132/http://worldbotanical.com/fruit_types.htm#Need%20Standardized%20Meanings |archive-date=2015-03-29 |access-date=2015-08-17 }}</ref>

<ref name=Stac10p277>{{Cite book|last=Stace |first=Clive |author-link = Clive Stace |year=2010 |title=New Flora of the British Isles |edition=3rd |location=Cambridge, UK |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-70772-5 }}, p. 277</ref>

<ref name=Stea04p376>{{Cite book |first=W.T. |last=Stearn |year=2004 |title=Botanical Latin |edition=4th (p/b) |location=Portland, Oregon |isbn=978-0-7153-1643-6 |publisher=Timber Press }} p. 376.</ref>

<ref name=Verg15>{{cite web |last1=Vergano |first1=Dan |title=Grapes domesticated 8,000 years ago |website=USA Today |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2011/01/domestics-grape-genome-sequenced/1#.VdIeMDYw-Ak |access-date=17 August 2015}}</ref>

<ref name=Vine13>{{cite book |last1=Vines |first1=S.H. |editor1-last=Oliver |editor1-first=F.W. |date=1913 |chapter=Robert Morison and John Ray |title=Makers of British Botany |publisher=Cambridge University Press |edition=Project Gutenberg EBook |chapter-url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/46415/46415-h/46415-h.htm |access-date=18 August 2015 }}</ref>

<ref name=Weis02p122>{{cite book |first=E.A. |last=Weiss |title=Spice Crops |publisher=CABI |location=Wallingford |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-85199-605-9 }} [https://books.google.com/books?id=RqqTdAwXev4C&pg=PA122 p. 122]</ref>

<ref name=Wrol01>{{cite web|last=Wrolstad |first=R.E. |date=2001 |title=The Possible Health Benefits of Anthocyanin Pigments and Polyphenolics |publisher=Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis |url=http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/ss01/anthocyanin.html |access-date=7 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707173920/http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/ss01/anthocyanin.html |archive-date=7 July 2014 |df=dmy }}</ref>

<ref name=Wu04>{{cite journal |last1=Wu |first1=X. |last2=Beecher |first2=G.R. |last3=Holden |first3=J.M. |last4=Haytowitz |first4=D.B. |last5=Gebhardt |first5=S.E. |last6=Prior |first6=R.L. |s2cid=25573388 |date=June 2004 |title=Lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant capacities of common foods in the United States |journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |volume=52 |issue=12 |pages=4026–37 |pmid=15186133 |doi=10.1021/jf049696w |bibcode=2004JAFC...52.4026W |name-list-style=amp}}</ref> }}

== External links == {{wiktionary|berry}} {{commons category|Berries}}

Category:Berries Category:Fruit morphology