How can bananas and some grapes be seedless if seeds come from fertilisation?
These fruits form by parthenocarpy — fruit development WITHOUT fertilisation.
These fruits form by parthenocarpy — fruit development WITHOUT fertilisation. Normally hormones from the developing seeds drive the ovary to swell into a fruit, but in parthenocarpy the ovary is stimulated (naturally or by applied hormones like auxins/gibberellins) to grow into a fruit even though no seeds are set. The result is a fleshy, edible, seedless fruit. Such plants are then propagated vegetatively (cuttings, suckers) since they can't be grown from seed.
Key point
Seedless fruits form by parthenocarpy — the ovary develops into fruit without fertilisation/seeds.
Common mistake
assuming every fruit must contain seeds from fertilisation.
Memory tip
no fertilisation, still fruit = parthenocarpy (propagate by cuttings).
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