question_answer 46)

  Why is maize grain usually called as a fruit and not a seed?

Answer:

                  The maize grain is usually known as fruit because it is infact a ripened ovary which contains aripened ovule, e.g., a single seed. This fruit is known as caryopsis in which the per carp isfused with the seed coat. The maize grain occurs attached to a thick cob or peduncle.