Question

What is syconus fruit?

Answer 1

Syconus fruit is a fruit that is formed from a hollow fleshy inflorescence stalk and it is composed of the development of tiny flowers inside it.

Complete answer:
A syconium is formed by a fleshy hollow receptacle which is enlarged and is present in the multiple ovaries on the inside surface of the fruit and is a type of inflorescence which are borne by figs. It is a multiple and an accessory fruit due to its fleshy stem which is composed of several flowers. The receptacle forms a hollow chamber in the syconium of a female and its inner wall is covered by a shell of rufous florets. The centre is occupied by the long and curled white styles and fruit and seed are produced by each floret. It is an urn-shaped receptacle that consists of highly simplified uni ovulate flowers of about 50 and 7000 which depends on the species on its inner surface.
It can be monoecious and dioecious functionally. The former consists of variable style length with few male flowers and female flowers that helps in the production of seeds and pollen. Different plants have latter with male and female forms and the seed figs consist of the female flowers with long styles that produce seeds. Gall figs have female flowers with the shorts styles and the male flowers which produce the pollen. The initiation of the bracts marks the formation of syconium which curves to form a receptacle.

Note:
Syconium evolved 83 million years ago in the cretaceous inside an entomophilic clade. They consist of bracts that protect the inflorescence and form the ostiole which increases the pollinator specificity of the plant.