1.Simple fruits: A fruit which develops from a single ovary of a single flower is called a simple fruit.
Types of simple fruits
a) Dry fruit: Dry fruit, in which the pericarp breaks open to release the seeds, are called capsular or dehiscent fruits.
Dry fruits that do not dehisce and retain the seeds inside are called indehiscent fruits.
Other dry fruits, which break into as many one seeded bits as there are carpels, are known as schizocarpic fruits.
Capsule: It is a simple, dry, dehiscent fruit developing from the syncarpous ovary having axile placentation. example Datura.
Cypsela: It is a simple, dry, indehiscent fruit developing from inferior, bicarpellary, syncarpous, mono locular ovary with a single ovule example Tridax.
Cremocarp: It is a simple dry schizocarpic fruit developing from an inferior, syncarpous, bilocular ovary, At maturity the fruit splits into two one seeded segments called mericarps. The two mericarp remains attached to a forked axis called carpohore example, Coriander.
b) Fleshy fruits: Fleshy fruits are those in which the pericarp becomes fleshy and juicy.
Drupe: It is a simple fleshy fruit enclosing one or more seeds. The pericarp is differentiated into outer epicarp, the middle fleshy or some times fibrous mesocarp and inner hard and strong endocarp example, mango.
Berry: It is a simple fleshy fruit and generally many seeded. The pericarp has an outer thin epicarp and an inner fleshy mesocarp example, grape
Pome: It is a simple fleshy false fruit. It develops from a syncarpous inferior ovary having axile placentation. After fertilization the thalamus becomes fleshy and edible. But the actual fruit lies within. example, Apple.
2. Aggregate fruits: A fruit, which develops from a single flower with polycarpellary, apocarpous gynoecium, is called aggregate fruit.
Each free carpel of the pistil develops into a small fruit called fruitlet.
Depending on the nature of individual fruits, aggregate fruits are classified as follows:
a) Etaerio of follicles E.g. Michella
b) Etaerio of berries E.g. Annona
c) Etaerio of achenes E.g. Clematis
d) Etaerio of drapes E.g. Raspberry
3. Multiple fruits: A fruit, which is formed by all the flowers of a whole inflorescence grouped together, is called multiple fruit.
Types of multiple fruits
Syncomus: It develops from hypanthodium inflorescence. After fertilization the hollow receptacle becomes fleshy. E.g. Peepal and Banyan.
Sorosis: It develops from spike or spadix or catkin E.g. Jackfruit.