Question

The edible part in the fruit of guava is

(a) Epicarp and thalamus

(b) Mesocarp

(c) Endocarp

(d) All of the above

Answer 1

We usually eat the entire guava fruit, except for the seeds in some cases. Guava is a false berry as it develops from the inferior ovary with fused thalamus and pericarp.

Complete answer:

- Berries are a type of fleshy or succulent fruits. They are characterized by a pulpy or uniformly fleshy pericarp that develops from mono or multicarpellary, and a syncarpous, superior ovary with numerous seeds that get detached from the placenta.

- A thalamus is the thickened part of a stem, the pedicel, from which the flower organs grow. In some fruits, it gives rise to the edible part of the fruit.

- A guava or Psidium guajava is a false berry that has an edible and fleshy pericarp that is fused with the thalamus. The only parts that may not be edible are the hard seeds scattered in the fruit.

- Other types of fleshy or succulent fruits are the drupe, pome, pepo, hesperidium, balausta, and amphisarca.

- In these fruits, the mesocarp is fleshy or fibrous. They are indehiscent, and seeds are liberated after the decay of the flesh.

- As guava rises from the thalamus, it is known as a false fruit or a pseudocarp.

So, the correct answer is ‘(d) All of the above’.

Note:

- India is the largest producer of guava.

- Thalamus is also known as torus or receptacle.

- The outer skin of the guava ranges from green, yellow, or maroon when ripe. The flesh ranges from off-white to deep pink in color.