pomaceous

Pomaceous is an adjective used in botany and horticulture to describe fruits of the pome type, produced by flowering plants in the Rosaceae family, particularly those in the group commonly referred to as Maloideae or Amygdaloideae. The term is most often applied to edible fruits such as apples and pears.

A pomaceous fruit, or pome, is an accessory fruit. The edible tissue arises largely from the enlarged receptacle and surrounding floral organs, while the true ovary forms a central core that houses the seeds. This core is typically surrounded by a tough, leathery endocarp. The edible portion is thus largely derived from tissue outside the ovary rather than from the ovary itself. The fruit is usually globe- or oblong-shaped, with a crisp or juicy exterior and a central seed-containing region.

Common examples include Malus domestica (apple), Pyrus communis (pear), and Cydonia oblonga (quince); other related genera include Crataegus (hawthorn) and Mespilus (medlar). Pomaceous fruits are valued for fresh consumption, juice, and processing, and they often store well, contributing to their prominence in temperate horticulture.

Taxonomic notes: the term pomaceous refers to a fruit type defined by anatomy rather than a single genus. In modern classifications, the traditional Maloideae is treated within a broader lineage of Rosaceae, and the pome fruit remains a defining example of this group’s fruit types.