2023-09-08 20:07:41
The points of the strawberries are called achenes. Photo: Storyblocks
Whether in desserts, ice cream, juices, cocktails or alone, strawberries are one of the most popular foods that exist. However, it turns out that it is not a fruit and, contrary to popular belief,—in botanical terms—it is not a berry either. Furthermore, it is often thought that the little dots present on its covering are seeds, but they are not. So what is a strawberry and what are those mysterious seeds that cover it?
Strawberries are highly valued for their high vitamin C content. Photo: Pexels
Strawberries are not fruits or berries
For a fruit to be considered a berry, it must meet certain characteristics: it must contain several seeds, be made up of an external layer, a fleshy center and an internal covering. Some examples of berries are grapes and blueberries. Strawberries do not possess these traits.
The strawberry is a species of plant in the genus Fragaria and of the family Rosaceae, to which roses belong. Like raspberries and blackberries, which also belong to this family, they are considered “added fruits.”
Strawberry plant. Photo: agronomic books
Unlike the fruits, which are composed of fused carpels of the same flower, the aggregated fruits They consist of several separate carpels of the same flower, depending on the Atlas of plant histology of the University of Vigo. Carpels are the modified leaves that make up the reproductive part of the flowers.
The carpels contain the reproductive part of the flower. Photo: diffusion
What are strawberry dots?
The little points of the strawberries are actually the fruits of the plant. The well-known red area is a part called the “receptacle” that swells when the flower of the plant is pollinated. This is very different from what happens with other plants, whose fruits grow after pollination.
Then, when the strawberry plant is pollinated, the receptacle swells and the true fruit separates into achenesterm used to name the little dots.
Regarding strawberry seeds, there is one inside each of the achenes. However, they are not usually used to plant other strawberries, but it is more common for them to grow through runners. These are stems that separate from the central plant and from which roots grow.
Achenes are the fruits of strawberries. Photo: diffusion
What are achenes used for?
The Achenians are responsible for the 81% of the antioxidant capacity of strawberriesaccording to researchers from the Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training Institute (Ifapa) of the Government of Andalusia.
The study, published in the journal International Journal of Molecular Science, indicates that achenes release antioxidants, such as phenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins. These properties help prevent oxidative stress, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and obesity.
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