= Mesocarp
The <mesocarp> is the middle region of the <pericarp>, between the outer <exocarp> and inner <endocarp>. In a <peach>, much of the juicy edible flesh is <mesocarp>, while the stone is hardened <endocarp>.<Glossary of Botanical Terms by PlantNET>[M–O entries, mesocarp: middle layer of the fruit wall]{ref}
Its name describes anatomical position rather than edibility or a fixed degree of softness. A useful dissection follows the layers from the surface inward before assigning names. This prevents the everyday category “flesh” from replacing the developmental distinction between <fruit> <tissue> derived from the <ovary (botany)> and the <seed> derived from an <ovule>.
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