Which term refers to a fruit with a single seed enclosed by a hard endocarp and fleshy flesh?

• A. Drupe
• B. Berry
• C. Pome
• D. Drupelike

Answer: (A)

In this type of fruit, a single seed sits inside a hard stone formed by the endocarp, while the surrounding flesh comes from the pericarp. That stone is what we commonly think of as the pit or kernel. Because the edible part is the fleshy outer portion and the seed is enclosed by that hard inner layer, the term used for this fruit type is a drupe. Examples you may recognize include peaches, cherries, and plums, all of which have one seed inside a hard pit.

This differs from berries, which contain multiple seeds embedded throughout a fleshy pericarp, and from pomes, where the seeds are inside a core surrounded by papery tissue. “Drupelike” isn’t a standard botanical term, so the precise term for a single-seeded fruit with a hard endocarp is drupe.