All fruit species of the World

[RICBITAR]

Anyone know how many species of edible fruits are in the world  ?( pure species , not cultivars )

[fruitlovers]

Are you asking about temperate, sub tropical + tropical fruits? I don't think anyone has attempted a count. I think it would in large part depend on how you defined edible? For example, some fruits are eaten by birds and monkeys but not usually eaten by people, though they could be eaten, often just very small or not that great tasting.

[Radoslav]

Total  number of known flowering plant species is estimated around 400,000 according to info on web, how many of them produce edible fruits I do not know.

[RICBITAR]

Total  number of known flowering plant species is estimated around 400,000 according to info on web, how many of them produce edible fruits I do not know.

Thanks for the info

[RICBITAR]

Are you asking about temperate, sub tropical + tropical fruits? I don't think anyone has attempted a count. I think it would in large part depend on how you defined edible? For example, some fruits are eaten by birds and monkeys but not usually eaten by people, though they could be eaten, often just very small or not that great tasting.

Oscar,

You are right, My question is very embracing
I will remake the question in two question :
1- Anyone know how many species of edible tropical and subtropical fruits are in the world including the small and not  great tasting but still edible
2- Anyone know how many species of edible commercial tropical and subtropical fruits are in the world
Sorry if I wrote something wrong, my english is not good
Thanks
Ricardo

[fruitlovers]

Ricardo, Dr. Parmar of fruitipedia estimated the number of tropical and subtropical fruits at 4000. I don't know how he got that number. But my guess is that it is vastly underestimated, especially if you include fruits that are edible but not usually eaten. Consider for example the one genus eugenia. There are more than 1000 species of eugenia alone. And most of those are probably edible, even if not all very palatable.
As far as i know there is no comprehensive inventory of edible fruits. Any number will just be an estimate, or more likely a guess.

[CGameProgrammer]

That question is almost impossible to answer for a number of reasons, including the ambiguity of the definition of edibility. For example fuchsia, commonly grown for flowers, actually produces edible fruit, but it's flavorless, barely sweet, and usually bitter. There are many plants that produce edible fruit that nobody would eat unless starving.

[RICBITAR]

Ricardo, Dr. Parmar of fruitipedia estimated the number of tropical and subtropical fruits at 4000. I don't know how he got that number. But my guess is that it is vastly underestimated, especially if you include fruits that are edible but not usually eaten. Consider for example the one genus eugenia. There are more than 1000 species of eugenia alone. And most of those are probably edible, even if not all very palatable.
As far as i know there is no comprehensive inventory of edible fruits. Any number will just be an estimate, or more likely a guess.

Oscar,

Thanks for the info
I know an exact number is very difficult, but an estimate is good to know
RIcardo

[fruitlovers]

That question is almost impossible to answer for a number of reasons, including the ambiguity of the definition of edibility. For example fuchsia, commonly grown for flowers, actually produces edible fruit, but it's flavorless, barely sweet, and usually bitter. There are many plants that produce edible fruit that nobody would eat unless starving.

I think it could be done, but it would be a Herculean task, and nobody, no company, or institutions, is up to it. If a comprehensive inventory would be created the fruits could be broken down into categories to avoid the problem you are talking about. For example: 1) fruits that are marketed or have commercial value, 2) fruits that are not commercial but well appreciated locally, 3) fruits that are edible but not usually eaten, 4) fruits only eaten during famines.
Documenting it would have value beyond just counting numbers. For example you could get clearer idea of what plants of value are endangered or in risk of becoming endangered. Obviously mostly ones in categories 2, 3, and 4.
If each country published its own fruit inventory then it would be a lot more doable, and a whole lot more complete, as a world compendium would just mean bringing all country's inventories together.
I think in the case of Brazil you have Lorenzi who is doing something similar with Brazilian fruits. If each country had a Lorenzi then your wish might come true! 

[Mike T]

There would be less than 300 000 described fruiting plants and not many of the 23 000 in the daisy family or 22 000 in the orchid family would have edible fruits.Even the grasses with 10 000 species have only a modest number of edible fruiting species. Even if a third have fleshy fruits that animals  can eat there would have to be less than a third that could plausably be attempted to be used as human food.I bet 5000 to 10 000 edible fruits would be a generous figure and truly edible would  be way less.I am thinking of what gets called bush tucker here and the hundreds  of listed species is reallymore like dozens.Worthwhile fruits for commercial use or of  backyard and horticultural interest might only be a couple of thousand at most.

[RICBITAR]

There would be less than 300 000 described fruiting plants and not many of the 23 000 in the daisy family or 22 000 in the orchid family would have edible fruits.Even the grasses with 10 000 species have only a modest number of edible fruiting species. Even if a third have fleshy fruits that animals  can eat there would have to be less than a third that could plausably be attempted to be used as human food.I bet 5000 to 10 000 edible fruits would be a generous figure and truly edible would  be way less.I am thinking of what gets called bush tucker here and the hundreds  of listed species is reallymore like dozens.Worthwhile fruits for commercial use or of  backyard and horticultural interest might only be a couple of thousand at most.

Thanks   

[fruitlovers]

There would be less than 300 000 described fruiting plants and not many of the 23 000 in the daisy family or 22 000 in the orchid family would have edible fruits.Even the grasses with 10 000 species have only a modest number of edible fruiting species. Even if a third have fleshy fruits that animals  can eat there would have to be less than a third that could plausably be attempted to be used as human food.I bet 5000 to 10 000 edible fruits would be a generous figure and truly edible would  be way less.I am thinking of what gets called bush tucker here and the hundreds  of listed species is reallymore like dozens.Worthwhile fruits for commercial use or of  backyard and horticultural interest might only be a couple of thousand at most.

Thanks   

Mike sounds very convincing and authoritative... as usual.  But i think he also underestimates fruit diversity on this planet. But who knows for sure? Mike could be right. I am guessing that there are hundreds of fruit species that are not even yet named by science, especially in places like Africa and PNG. So this makes it even harder to come up with a real number. Anyway, it's a good question to ponder. One thing is for sure, the fruits discussed on this forum are just like a drop in the bucket.

[bsbullie]

Are we just talking about edible "fruits" and not nuts/seeds and leaves (pandanus,  lemon grass, etc.)?

[Radoslav]

For example:
In the Svalbard Global Seed Vault,  the secure seed bank on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen
on March 2013, the number of distinct samples in bank has increased to 770,000.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard_Global_Seed_Vault

[Viking Guy]

I am assuming also you are referring to generic fruits, right?  Not varieties and hybrids?  Quite a loaded question.

You'll need quite a few greenhouses if you wish to grow them all, lol.

[RICBITAR]

There would be less than 300 000 described fruiting plants and not many of the 23 000 in the daisy family or 22 000 in the orchid family would have edible fruits.Even the grasses with 10 000 species have only a modest number of edible fruiting species. Even if a third have fleshy fruits that animals  can eat there would have to be less than a third that could plausably be attempted to be used as human food.I bet 5000 to 10 000 edible fruits would be a generous figure and truly edible would  be way less.I am thinking of what gets called bush tucker here and the hundreds  of listed species is reallymore like dozens.Worthwhile fruits for commercial use or of  backyard and horticultural interest might only be a couple of thousand at most.

Thanks   

Mike sounds very convincing and authoritative... as usual.  But i think he also underestimates fruit diversity on this planet. But who knows for sure? Mike could be right. I am guessing that there are hundreds of fruit species that are not even yet named by science, especially in places like Africa and PNG. So this makes it even harder to come up with a real number. Anyway, it's a good question to ponder. One thing is for sure, the fruits discussed on this forum are just like a drop in the bucket.

Oscar, more a detail in your comments, no only Africa ,  I think in Amazon forest, have several species unknown too, I think hundreds species of fruit unknown,
The Amazon forest have a giant parcel totally virgin