Stone fruit
A stone fruit, also called a drupe, is a fruit with a large "stone" inside. The stone is sometimes called the seed, but that is a mistake, as the seed is inside the stone. The stones can also be called a pit. These fruits are edible and used frequently in cooking.
Identification
What makes a fruit?
A fruit is the matured ovary of a flower. Fruits consist of two main parts: the pericarp, or ovary wall, and the seed(s).
The pericarp has three layers: the exocarp (skin/rind), the mesocarp (bulk of the pericarp), and the endocarp (innermost layer).
Berries vs. drupes
The two main classes of fleshy fruits are berries and drupes, or stone fruits.
Berries have a fleshy mesocarp and endocarp, and may have multiple seeds.
Drupes have a fleshy mesocarp, but a tough endocarp, and of course, a "stone" or "pit" at its center. Drupes typically have only a single seed.
Examples of stone fruits
| Scientific name | Description | In pop culture | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apricots | Prunus armeniaca |
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| Apriums | apricot/plum hybrid | ||
| Blackberries | Rubus |
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| Cherries |
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| Coconuts |
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| Dates |
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| Green almonds | the fruit of an almond tree, containing the pit or "nut" commonly referred to as an almond |
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| Lychees |
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| Mangoes | Mangifera indica |
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| Marionberries | a cultivar of blackberries |
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| Mulberries | Morus |
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| Nectarines | Prunus persica var. nucipersica | ||
| Olives | Olea europaea | ||
| Peaches | Prunus persica |
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| Plums | prunus domestica |
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| Pluots | plum/apricot hybrid | ||
| Salmonberry | rubus spectabilis |
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