drupe
(/dro͞op/); Ancient Greek δρύππᾱ (drúppā) “olive”; Latin (drūpa): A fleshy fruit surrounding a single hardened seed. Also called stone fruit.
Pecans are considered drupes, or more specifically "dry drupes." Unlike juicy drupes such as peaches or cherries, pecans have a husk (outer layer) that dries and splits open as the fruit matures.
The structure of a pecan follows the classic drupe pattern:
Exocarp: The outer green husk
Mesocarp: The middle layer that becomes papery when dry
Endocarp: The hard shell that contains the edible seed or "nut"
Though we commonly refer to pecans as nuts in culinary contexts, botanically speaking, they belong to the drupe category, similar to walnuts and almonds.
Botanists sometimes use the term "drupaceous nut" to describe these types of fruits that have characteristics of both drupes and nuts. We call them “drupey nuts”.
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What is a Drupe?
Technically, pecans aren’t actually nuts! They are a special type of fruit known as drupes. Hence the name, drupey nuts.
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