Which of the following is an example of a multiple fruit?

Step 1: Analyze the question We need to identify which option is a multiple fruit (also called a composite fruit).

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

• Simple fruits develop from a single ovary of one flower (e.g. mango, orange, maize, cashew).
• Aggregate fruits develop from many separate ovaries (carpels) of one flower (e.g. custard apple, strawberry).
• Multiple (composite) fruits develop from the ovaries of many flowers in one inflorescence. These flowers fuse together as they mature into a single mass (e.g. pineapple, breadfruit, jackfruit).

Step 3: Check each option

• A. Cashew – The nut is a simple fruit. The fleshy "cashew apple" is the swollen stalk (a false fruit), not a multiple fruit.
• B. Maize – Each grain is a caryopsis, a simple dry fruit.
• C. Mango – A simple fleshy fruit (drupe).
• D. Orange – A simple fleshy fruit (hesperidium, a type of berry).
• E. Pineapple – It develops from a whole inflorescence. Many small flowers fuse together on a central axis, forming one large fruit. The "eyes" on the surface are the individual flowers' fruits. This makes it a multiple fruit.

Step 4: Answer The correct answer is E. pineapple.

Tip: Remember the phrase "Multiple = Many flowers." Common examples are pineapple, breadfruit, jackfruit, and mulberry. If a fruit looks like a fused cluster from a whole flower spike, it is likely a multiple fruit.