Question

Pineapple (ananas) fruit develops from-

• A. a unilocular polycarpellary flower
• B. a Multipistillate syncarpous flower
• C. a cluster of compactly borne flowers on a common axis
• D. a Multilocular monocarpellary flower

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a tropical fruit known for its distinctive sweet and tangy flavor. It belongs to the family Bromeliaceae. The development of pineapple fruit is a classic example of what is known as a "multiple fruit" or "collective fruit."

1. Understanding Pineapple Fruit Development: The pineapple is not derived from a single flower; rather, it develops from a "cluster of compactly borne flowers on a common axis." This type of fruit formation occurs from an inflorescence (a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem) where each flower of the inflorescence contributes to the formation of the fruit.
2. Step-by-Step Explanation:
   • Pineapple is formed from an inflorescence type known as a "compound spike," where numerous small flowers (each called a "floret") grow together tightly on a common stalk.
   • Each individual flower contributes to the final fruit, and the fusion of these tiny individual fruits forms the large, aggregated fruit structure of the pineapple.
   • The individual fruits develop into fleshy parts that are fused together around the common axis, leading to the characteristic structure of the pineapple.
3. Justification of the Correct Option:
   • The correct answer is: a cluster of compactly borne flowers on a common axis
   • This is because the pineapple fruit develops through a process called "multiple fruit formation," where the ovaries of multiple flowers combine into one single large fruit.
4. Conclusion: The pineapple is an example of a multiple fruit, which is a result of the fusion of fruits from multiple flowers, correctly described by the term "a cluster of compactly borne flowers on a common axis."