Druplet

Druplet is a term occasionally used in botany to refer to a small fruitlet that forms part of an aggregate fruit. In many contexts it is effectively synonymous with drupelet, the individual fleshy units that compose fruits such as raspberries and blackberries. Each druplet develops from a single ovary of a flower and, when ripe, consists of a fleshy outer tissue surrounding a seed. Collectively, many druplets cohere into the larger edible fruit, while a simple fruit from a single ovary would be considered a single drupe rather than a cluster.

In raspberries and blackberries, numerous drupelets cluster around a hollow receptacle. When the fruit is picked, each druplet can detach from its neighbor, leaving the receptacle-like core exposed. The term druplet is less formal than drupelet, and some sources prefer the latter for botanical accuracy.

Examples and related terms: raspberries, blackberries, and other members of the Rosaceae family that form aggregate fruits with multiple small drupes. The distinction matters for horticulture and food science, where the structure affects texture, juiciness, and processing characteristics.

See also: Drupe; Drupelet; Aggregate fruit; Raspberry; Blackberry.