Wall of a
fruit. It encloses the seeds and is derived from the
ovary wall. In fruits such as the acorn, the pericarp becomes dry and hard, forming a shell around the seed. In fleshy fruits the pericarp is typically made up of three distinct layers. The
epicarp, or
exocarp, forms the tough outer skin of the fruit, while the
mesocarp is often fleshy and forms the middle layers. The innermost layer or
endocarp, which surrounds the seeds, may be membranous or thick and hard, as in the
drupe (stone) of cherries, plums, and apricots.
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