Yes, an apple is considered a false fruit. This is because the fleshy part we eat develops from the receptacle (thalamus) of the flower, not the ovary. True fruits develop solely from the ovary.
Understanding True vs. False Fruits
- True Fruit: Develops from the ovary of the flower. Examples include mangoes, grapes, and cucumbers.
- False Fruit (or Accessory Fruit): Develops from other parts of the flower besides the ovary, such as the receptacle (as in apples and strawberries) or the hypanthium (the base of the flower). The actual seeds are contained within the core of the apple, which is the remnant of the ovary. The majority of the apple's fleshy part comes from the receptacle tissue surrounding the ovary.
Several sources confirm this:
- The statement: "False fruits develop from any other part of the plant except the ovary. As an apple does not grow from the ovary, it is a false fruit." directly supports this classification.
- The Reddit thread (https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3d1f8t/how_is_an-apple-a_false_fruit_strawberry_a_fruit/) mentions apples as accessory fruits, formed from parts other than the ovary.
- Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessory_fruit) defines accessory fruits as those containing tissue derived from plant parts other than the ovary, which directly applies to apples.
- Multiple sources like Byju's (https://byjus.com/question-answer/why-is-apple-called-a-false-fruit-which-part-s-of-the-flower-forms-the-2/) and Toppr (https://www.toppr.com/ask/question/why-is-apple-called-a-false-fruit-which-parts-of-the-flower-forms-the-fruit/) explicitly state that the apple develops from the thalamus (receptacle) making it a false fruit.
While the term "false fruit" might be slightly misleading, suggesting it's not a fruit at all, it's a botanically accurate classification based on its developmental origin.
