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If you are not an expert in botany or a very experienced hobbyist, it is likely that you have never heard the word sorosis and perhaps you have heard it now because you are studying the subject or out of some curiosity. This, which does not refer to any disease although it may sound like it and, in fact, some confuse the word with the skin problem called psoriasis, it actually refers to one of several types of compound fruits that exist. One of which you quite possibly know more examples than you think.
Do you want to know more about sorosis and its characteristics? If so, keep reading us in this Green Ecologist article in which we explain what is sorosis and examples this.
What is a sorosis
A sorosis is, as we have already mentioned, a type of compound fruit. It is characterized by being a fleshy fruit and because all its part of pulp or fleshy part corresponds to the set of all the flowers of the inflorescence, instead of just one.
We see in this way, a structure that looks like a unique fruit, but that has been given from the union of the entire inflorescence. This set is commonly called blackberry, but its technical and more correct name is sorosis.
To learn about the functions of fruits, we recommend this other article by Green Ecologist on Plant Reproduction.
Examples of sorosis
There are two big types of sorosis which are the most representative in terms of the fruits best known by the general public: it is the American pineapple and blackberries.
- American pineapple, of scientific name Ananas comosus, is a bromeliad that has its origin in South America. It is a plant with very hard lanceolate leaves, which can reach lengths of up to one meter. The entire plant produces a single fruit per season, which is formed from the spike inflorescence that sprouts from its floral stem, made up of dozens of flowers.
- Blackberries, of scientific name MorusThey are a whole genus with between 10 and 16 species. They are deciduous trees that have their origin in Asia, Africa and North America in their temperate and warm zones. Its fruits are multiple, and although all parts of the inflorescence collaborate in its formation, only those corresponding to the perianth give rise to the fleshy part.
Difference between compound, complex, aggregated and simple fruits
The fruits that plants produce are divided into many types. Are distinguished 4 great types of fruits: the simple ones, the complexes, the aggregates and the compounds.
Simple fruits
Simple fruits are those that arise from a single flower, which must have a single carpel or pistil, or several welded pistils and carpels. Simple fruits, in turn, are divided into monocarpic fruits and polycarpic fruits.
- Monocarpic fruits come from a monocarpelar gynoecium. Examples of these fruits are the so-called legumes, such as beans and peas.
- The polycarpic fruits they develop from a gynoecium made up of a multitude of carpels. Examples of this type of fruit are those that develop the flowers of the buttercup or anemone.
Complex fruits
Complex fruits are those in which it is not only the mature ovary that makes up the fruit, but other parts of the flower are added to its development. There are a large number of subdivisions and possible cases between them.
Some examples of complex fruits are those that form knobs, What apples and pears. Complex fruits are also the pseudocarpals or polyachenes, a special type of etherium in which a single fleshy body is actually made up of a multitude of true fruits or achenes. An example of this is Strawberries.
Added fruits
Aggregate fruits arise from flowers with more than one carpel or pistil, free and separated. They are also commonly called etheries.
Among them we find the polyaquenios, the polybeys, the polyfollicles, the polydrupes and the polisamaras. We also find special cases such as the custard apple, which although it is initially a polybale, when it matures its berries are welded together and form a single unit, in which its different carpels can be recognized by the scales.
Compound fruits
Finally we have the compound fruits, which are also often called syncarpus or infrutescence.
These are structures in which all the flowers that make up a inflorescence they give rise to a single fruit that is actually made up of a multitude of them. Sometimes, more parts of the flower participate and even the same axis of the inflorescence, so a compound fruit can also be a complex fruit. They are divided into carcerules, syconics, sorosis and bags.
Fleshy fruits and nuts
In addition, the fruits can also be classified by their composition and consistency, thus being divided into fleshy fruits and nuts.
- The fleshy fruits They include some of the species most consumed by humans. They include various types such as drupes, berries, hesperidia, peponids, and pommel.
- Dried fruits They are those that have a percentage of water less than 50% in their composition. As food, they are very nutritious and rich in fat and protein, among others.
After learning about the different fruits and, specifically, discovering in detail what a sorosis is, we recommend you explore these 30 rare tropical fruits and the reasons why the fruits fall from the tree.
If you want to read more articles similar to Sorosis: what it is and examples, we recommend that you enter our Biology category.
