Question

Which one is not a pseudocarp?
a) Tomato
b) Guava
c) Apple
d) Banana

Answer 1

Hint: Pseudocarp is a fruit that is a false fruit. It is not derived from the ovary of the flower but grows from the other adjacent tissues present. They are also known as accessory fruits. They usually use other flower parts for the formation of their fruits.

Complete step by step answer:
Tomato is a true fruit berry and is not a pseudocarp. It is formed from the ovary of the flower. The flower of the tomato has both male and female parts located in a single flower. The ovules when getting fertilized form the embryo which can row and develop to form the seeds which are present inside the tomato. The tomato is considered a fruit because it grows from the ovary of the flower and contains seed. That is why though it is used as a vegetable but it is not named under vegetables. Due to its taste, it is used in cooking vegetables and is not used in the deserts. If viewed from the point of botany then it is fruit.

So, the answer is ‘tomato’.

Additional information: Guava, banana and apple are the pseudocarps as they are not produced from the ovary of the flower. Apple is a fruit that grows from the thalamus present on the flowers. Guava and banana are formed from the ovaries which are located below the flower petals and sepals. They have inferior ovaries present on their flowers. So, when the fruit is formed their thalamus also gets involved in the fruit formation.

Note:
The false fruits are formed from the ovary along with the other parts of the flower like the perianth, thalamus etc. some other examples of the false fruits are cashews, strawberry, pear, gourd, pineapple, jackfruit etc.