pomum

Pomum is a Latin noun meaning fruit, particularly the fruit of a tree. In classical and medieval Latin, pomum referred to a broad range of fruits, with the plural form poma and the genitive pomī or pomorum. The term entered English mainly through scholarly and horticultural usage, giving rise to words such as pomology (the study of fruit cultivation) and pomiferous (bearing fruit).

In botanical usage, pomum also designates a specific type of fruit known as a pome. A pome is a fleshy fruit produced by plants in the subtribe Malinae of the Rosaceae. In pomes, the edible flesh largely derives from the receptacle and floral tube, while the true fruit consists of the seeds contained within the core formed by the ovary. Common examples include the apple (Malus domestica), the pear (Pyrus communis), and the quince (Cydonia oblonga). The core, or granal region, consists of small seeds encased by the dried papery layers of the ovary.

Taxonomically, pomes are associated with the apples and pears group within the Rosaceae, a large family of flowering plants that also includes fruit-bearing shrubs and trees. This fruit type contrasts with drupes (stone fruits) and berries, representing a distinct pattern of fruit development and structure.

Today, the word pomum survives mainly in historical, linguistic, and horticultural contexts. The related term pomology remains the discipline concerned with cultivation, improvement, and study of fruit crops. See also pome, Malus, Pyrus.