The type of fruit that is formed from a single flower having several free carpels is?

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the fruit type formed from a single flower that has several free (separate, apocarpous) carpels. The key clues are "single flower" and "several free carpels."

Step 2: Explain the concept Fruits are classified by how they develop from the flower:

• Simple fruit: develops from a single flower with a single carpel or several fused carpels (syncarpous). Examples: tomato, orange, bean pod.
• Aggregate fruit: develops from a single flower with several free carpels (apocarpous gynoecium). Each carpel forms a small fruitlet, and together they make one cluster on the same receptacle. Examples: raspberry, strawberry, custard apple (Annona), and Clematis.
• Multiple (composite) fruit: develops from the fused ovaries of many flowers in an inflorescence. Examples: pineapple, breadfruit.

"Indehiscent" and "fleshy" describe other features: whether a fruit splits open at maturity, and the texture of the pericarp. They are not categories based on the number of carpels.

Step 3: Apply to the question

• A. Indehiscent fruit: does not split open at maturity, which is unrelated to the carpel arrangement. ✗
• B. Aggregate fruit: single flower, many free carpels, a cluster of fruitlets. ✓
• C. Simple fruit: comes from one carpel or fused carpels, not several free ones. ✗
• D. Fleshy fruit: describes texture only. ✗

Step 4: Answer The correct option is B. aggregate fruit.

Exam tip: Remember it by counting flowers and carpels:

• Simple = one flower, one carpel or fused carpels
• Aggregate = one flower, many free carpels ("aggregate" means gathered together on one flower)
• Multiple = many flowers