Nuculane

Nuculane, a succulent or berry-like fruit (q.v.), different from the true berry in being "superior," formed, that is, entirely from carpellary structures, and from the drupe (q.v.) in originating from more than one carpel and having no "stone" or hard endocarp. It is a type of fruit occurring in many widely-different orders and exhibiting considerable variety. It has generally a thin outer skin or epicarp; but this is often hardly separable from the pulpy interior. In some passion-flowers this exterior is tough almost to brittleness; and in the variety known as a hesperidium, the fruit characteristic of the orange tribe, it is thick and leathery. Other examples are the tomato and other Solanaoeae, asparagus and lily-of-the-valley.