Yes, cashew (Kaju) is considered a false fruit.
Understanding True and False Fruits
There are two main categories of fruits: true fruits and false fruits. The key difference lies in the parts of the flower that develop into the fruit.
- True fruits: Develop solely from the ovary of the flower. Examples include apples, oranges, and grapes.
- False fruits: Develop from the ovary and other floral parts, such as the receptacle, calyx, or hypanthium. These additional parts contribute significantly to the fruit's structure and often make up the edible portion.
Why Cashew is a False Fruit
The reference material states that fruits like apples and cashews are classified as false fruits because their development involves more than just the ovary. The fleshy, edible part of a cashew that we consume is not the ovary itself; it's a structure called the cashew apple, which develops from the receptacle. The actual cashew seed (the nut we typically eat) is technically the true fruit. Therefore, the cashew apple is a false fruit, and while we consume both the apple and the nut, the classification focuses on the edible "apple" part.
