Drupe Fruit: Structure of Mango and Coconut (Edible Parts)
Biology · Morphology of Flowering Plants · NEET
A drupe is a one-seeded fruit from a monocarpellary superior ovary, where the pericarp has three layers: outer epicarp, middle mesocarp, and inner stony endocarp. In mango the juicy edible part is the fleshy mesocarp; in coconut the mesocarp is the fibrous husk, so the edible white kernel is the endosperm (not pericarp). Memory hook: "Mango = eat the middle (mesocarp); Coconut = eat the endosperm inside the stony endocarp."
Both mango and coconut are drupes with a three-layered pericarp (epicarp, mesocarp, endocarp). In mango you eat the fleshy mesocarp (pericarp); in coconut the mesocarp is the fibrous husk, so the edible white kernel and water are endosperm.
Your doubts, answered
Is coconut a nut or a drupe?
Coconut is a drupe, not a true nut. NCERT clearly states that in both mango and coconut the fruit is a drupe. It develops from a monocarpellary superior ovary and is one-seeded. NEET has directly asked 'Coconut fruit is a' with answer Drupe (NEET 2017), so remember drupe, not nut.
Which pericarp layer is the edible part of mango?
In mango you eat the mesocarp (the middle layer). The pericarp is differentiated into a thin outer epicarp (the skin), a fleshy juicy mesocarp (the pulp you eat), and a hard stony endocarp that covers the seed (the 'stone').
Is the edible part of coconut endosperm or pericarp?
The edible white kernel and the coconut water are endosperm, not pericarp. In coconut the mesocarp is the dry fibrous husk (coir) and the endocarp is the hard shell. NEET 2017 asked this: 'morphological nature of the edible part of coconut' answer is Endosperm.
Why do mango and coconut both count as drupes if we eat different parts?
The fruit TYPE is decided by the ovary and pericarp structure, not by what we eat. Both come from a monocarpellary superior ovary, are one-seeded, and have a three-layered pericarp with a stony endocarp. In mango the mesocarp is fleshy; in coconut the mesocarp is fibrous, but both are still drupes.
How many seeds does a drupe have?
A drupe is one-seeded. The single seed is protected inside the hard stony endocarp. This one-seeded, stony-endocarp feature is the quick identification clue for a drupe in NEET.
⚠️ The NEET trap ✗ The edible part of coconut is the pericarp (mesocarp). ✓ The edible white kernel of coconut is the endosperm; the fibrous husk is the mesocarp and the hard shell is the endocarp. 🧠 Coconut and mango are both drupes, but the edible part differs: mango = mesocarp (pericarp), coconut = endosperm (seed tissue). Do not assume both are the same layer.
Real NEET questions
NEET 2017
Coconut fruit is a
A · Drupe ✓
B · Berry
C · Nut
D · Capsule
Solution: Coconut, like mango, is a drupe. It develops from a monocarpellary superior ovary and is one-seeded, with a differentiated pericarp whose mesocarp is fibrous. NCERT: 'In mango and coconut, the fruit is known as a drupe.'
NEET 2017
The morphological nature of the edible part of coconut is
A · Perisperm
B · Cotyledon
C · Endosperm ✓
D · Pericarp
Solution: In coconut the fibrous husk is mesocarp and the hard shell is endocarp, so the pericarp is not the edible part. The edible white kernel and coconut water are endosperm, the food-storing tissue formed after double fertilisation. Hence the edible part is endosperm.
NEET 2024
Match List I (A. Rose, B. Pea, C. Cotton, D. Mango) with List II (I. Twisted aestivation, II. Perigynous flower, III. Drupe, IV. Marginal placentation).
A · A-I, B-II, C-III, D-IV
B · A-IV, B-III, C-II, D-I
C · A-II, B-III, C-IV, D-I
D · A-II, B-IV, C-I, D-III ✓
Solution: Rose is a perigynous flower (II); Pea shows marginal placentation (IV); Cotton shows twisted aestivation (I); Mango is a drupe (III). So A-II, B-IV, C-I, D-III = option D. Note that Mango pairs with Drupe.
Solved Morphology of Flowering Plants NEET PYQs
Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.
A drupe is a simple fleshy fruit that develops from a monocarpellary superior ovary, is one-seeded, and has a three-layered pericarp with a hard stony inner endocarp. Mango and coconut are the standard NCERT examples.
What are the three layers of a drupe's pericarp?
The pericarp of a drupe is differentiated into the outer epicarp (skin), the middle mesocarp, and the inner endocarp (stony layer around the seed).
What is the edible part of mango?
In mango the edible juicy pulp is the mesocarp, the middle layer of the pericarp. The skin is the epicarp and the stone is the endocarp.
What is the edible part of coconut?
The edible white kernel of coconut is endosperm, seed food-storing tissue. The fibrous husk is mesocarp and the hard shell is endocarp, so the edible part is NOT pericarp.
Why is coconut called a fibrous drupe?
Coconut is a drupe because it has the three-layered pericarp and a single seed, but its mesocarp is dry and fibrous (coir) instead of fleshy, so it is sometimes called a fibrous drupe.
