drupé

Drupe is a type of fleshy fruit that develops from a single carpel and contains a single seed enclosed within a hard shell called the endocarp. The endocarp, also known as the stone or pit, is characteristic of drupes. Common examples of drupes include peaches, plums, cherries, apricots, olives, and coconuts. The outer layer of a drupe is the exocarp, which is the skin. Beneath the exocarp is the mesocarp, which is the fleshy, edible part of the fruit in many drupes. The endocarp surrounds the seed.

Botanically, drupes are simple fruits, meaning they develop from a single flower with one pistil. The ovary wall develops into the pericarp, which is composed of the exocarp, mesocarp, and endocarp. The development of the hard endocarp is a key distinguishing feature that separates drupes from other fleshy fruits like berries, which have multiple seeds and no hard stony layer. While many drupes are cultivated for their edible mesocarp, the hard endocarp serves a protective function for the seed within. The dispersal of drupes often occurs through animals that consume the fleshy part and then discard or excrete the stone containing the viable seed.