in botany, type of dry indehiscent fruit
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A nut is a type of dry fruit with a hard shell that doesn't naturally split open on its own. Nuts matter because they're an important food source for both humans and wildlife, and understanding them helps us appreciate the diversity of plant reproduction strategies.
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Article
A nut is a fruit consisting of a hard or tough nutshell protecting a kernel which is usually edible. In general usage and in a culinary sense, many dry seeds are called nuts, but in a botanical context, "nut" implies that the shell does not open to release the seed (indehiscent).
Most seeds come from fruits that naturally free themselves from the shell, but this is not the case in nuts such as hazelnuts, chestnuts, and acorns, which have hard shell walls and originate from a compound ovary.