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Noni

Prickly pear

Pomegranate

Passion fruit

A fruit is the part of a plant that contains seeds. You

may think of it as sweet, such as oranges or apples,

but botanists—scientists who study plants—include

seed-containing tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers on

their scientifically accurate list of fruits. Squish and

squash oranges, blueberries, or other available fruits

to explore the various ways that they carry their seeds,

and seek out some of the exotic fruits you see here.

Fruit

Passion fruit hails from South America, while the pomegranate is a

Mediterranean treat. Both hold their crunchy seeds and sweet juice in

panels of tiny sacs called arils, which tempt animals to eat the seeds and

aid in their dispersal. Hal

ve the fruits, bang the halves on a bowl edge,

and then spoon out and munch the gemlike little arils.

Some fruits are protected by cactusy thorns, tough

skin to help them retain moisture in drought

conditions, and ultra-tangy f

lesh—such as noni from

Southeast Asia and prickly pears from North and

Central America. Don’t be scared: Just peel these

guys, slice ’em in half, and chew ’em—seeds and all.