= Pericarp
The <pericarp> is the wall of a <fruit>, derived from the wall of the <ovary (botany)>. Its regions can be distinguished as outer <exocarp>, middle <mesocarp> and inner <endocarp>.<Glossary of Botanical Terms by PlantNET>[P entries, pericarp]{ref}
These regions need not have the same texture: in a <drupe>, such as a peach, the fleshy middle surrounds a hard inner stone. The stone is hardened <pericarp>; the <seed> lies inside it. In a <caryopsis>, by contrast, the <pericarp> is closely fused to the <seed coat>. These examples explain why a <fruit>'s protective covering should be identified by its developmental origin as well as its appearance.
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