Pineapple

The pineapple (Ananas comosus) originated in South America, probably in the area around the Orinoco and Negro river basins. Technically, it is not a single fruit but the fruits of a hundred or more separate flowers that grow on a central plant spike. As they grow, they swell with juice and pulp, expanding to become the fruit. There are two major pineapple cultivars: the Smooth Cayenne from Venezuela, which is cultivated for its large, juicy fruit and lack of spines on its leaves, and the Red Spanish from the Caribbean.