– Etymology:
– The word “pome” entered English in the late 14th century.
– It referred to an apple or an apple-shaped object.
– Derived from the Old French word for apple: “pome” (modern French is “pomme”).
– The word originated from the Late Latin or Vulgar Latin word “poma” meaning apple.
– Originally, “poma” was the plural of Latin “pomum,” meaning fruit, later apple.
– Morphology:
– A pome is an accessory fruit composed of one or more carpels surrounded by accessory tissue.
– The accessory tissue is interpreted as fruit cortex or a fused hypanthium.
– The carpels of a pome are fused within the core.
– The epicarp, mesocarp, and endocarp of a pome may be fleshy and difficult to distinguish.
– Pome-type fruit with stony endocarp may be called a polypyrenous drupe.
– Examples:
– The apple is the best-known example of a pome.
– Other plants that produce pome fruit include Cotoneaster, Crataegus, medlar, pear, Pyracantha, quince, rowan, loquat, toyon, and whitebeam.
– Some pomes may have a mealy texture (e.g., some apples).
– Others (e.g., Amelanchier, Aronia) are berry-like with juicy flesh and a less noticeable core.
– See also:
– Cider
– Nut (fruit)
– References:
– “Apples, pears and other pome fruit.” www.dpi.nsw.gov.au. 2017. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
– Harper, Douglas. Online Etymological Dictionary: entry: pome. Online Etymological Dictionary. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
– Esau, K. 1977. Anatomy of seed plants. John Wiley and Sons, New York.
– Hickey, M.; King, C. (2001). The Cambridge Illustrated Glossary of Botanical Terms. Cambridge University Press.
– Potter, D.; Eriksson, T.; Evans, R.C.; Oh, S.; Smedmark, J.E.E.; Morgan, D.R.; Kerr, M.; Robertson, K.R.; Arsenault, M.; Dickinson, T.A.; Campbell, C.S. (2007). Phylogeny and classification of Rosaceae. Plant Systematics and Evolution. 266 (1–2): 5–43.
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In botany, a pome[pronunciation?] is a type of fruit produced by flowering plants in the subtribe Malinae of the family Rosaceae. Pome fruits consist of a central "core" containing multiple small seeds, which is enveloped by a tough membrane and surrounded by an edible layer of flesh. Pome fruit trees are deciduous, and undergo a dormant winter period that requires cold temperatures to break dormancy in spring. Well-known pomes include the apple, pear, and quince.
