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2 Mediterranean and subtropical fruits 3 Tropical fruits 4 Nonedible fruit |
Fruits of temperate climates are almost universally borne on trees or woody shrubs or lianas. They will not grow adequately in the tropics, as they need a period of cold (a chilling requirement) each year before they will flower. The apple, pear, cherry, and plum are the most widely grown and eaten, owing to their adaptability. Many other fruits are important regionally but do not figure prominently in commerce. Many sorts of small fruit on this list are gathered from the wild, just as they were in Neolithic times.
The Family Rosaceae dominates the temperate fruits, both in numbers and in importance. The pome fruits, stone fruits, brambles, and strawberry are all members of Rosaceae.
The pome fruits:
Temperate fruits
The stone fruits, drupes of genus Prunus:
Some exceptions to the statement that temperate fruits grow on woody perennials are:
Tropical fruit grow on plants of all habits. The only characteristic that they share is an intolerance of frost.
See also