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{{Short description|In the culinary sense, small edible fruit}} {{pp-semi-indef}} {{for-multi|the botanical usage|Berry (botany)|other uses}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}} {|style="width: 300px; height: 300px; float:right; text-align: center;" |<gallery mode="packed-hover" widths="90px" heights="90px"> File:Berberis thunbergii berries.jpg|[[Berberis thunbergii|Japanese barberries]] File:Norwegian blueberry.jpg|[[Bilberry]] File:Ribes rubrum2005-07-17.JPG|[[Redcurrant]]s File:Lonicera coerulea a3.jpg|[[Lonicera caerulea|Honeysuckle]] File:Stachelbeere (Ribes uva-crispa).jpg|[[Gooseberries]] File:Rubus chamaemorus close-up.JPG|[[Rubus chamaemorus|Cloudberry]] File:Vaccinium corymbosum a2.jpg|[[Vaccinium corymbosum|Highbush blueberries]] File:Black Butte blackberry.jpg|[[Blackberries]] </gallery> |} A '''berry''' is a small, pulpy, and often edible [[fruit]]. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a [[stone fruit|stone]] or [[pit (fruit)|pit]] although many [[wikt:pip#Etymology 2|pips]] or seeds may be present.{{zwj}}<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica"/> Common examples of berries in the culinary sense are [[strawberries]]<!--yes, they ARE berries in the sense used in this article, although not in the sense used in the article "Berry (botany)-->, [[raspberries]],<!--also berries in the sense of this article--> [[blueberries]], [[blackberries]], [[white currant]]s, [[blackcurrant]]s, and [[redcurrant]]s.{{zwj}}<ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster |berry }}</ref> In Britain, '''soft fruit''' is a [[horticultural]] term for such fruits.{{zwj}}<ref>{{Cite Collins |soft fruit |access-date=11 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Soft Fruit List: 2014–15 |publisher=[[Royal Horticultural Society]] |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/pdf/wisley/Soft-Fruit-List-2014-2015-final |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150811080039/https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/pdf/wisley/Soft-Fruit-List-2014-2015-final |archive-date=11 August 2015 |access-date=11 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Berry|url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Berry|website=[[The Free Dictionary]]|access-date=10 August 2015}}</ref> <!-- Botany --> The common usage of the term "berry" is different from the scientific or [[berry (botany)|botanical definition of a berry]], which refers to a [[fleshy fruit]] produced from the [[Ovary (botany)|ovary]] of a single flower where the outer layer of the ovary wall develops into an edible fleshy portion{{nbsp}}([[pericarp]]). The botanical definition includes many fruits that are not commonly known or referred to as berries,{{zwj}}<ref>{{Cite book |title=Ultimate Family Visual Dictionary |publisher=[[DK Pub.]] |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-1434-1954-9 |location=New Delhi |pages=148–151|chapter=Plants|language=en}}</ref> such as [[grape]]s, [[tomato]]es, [[cucumber]]s, [[eggplant]]s, [[banana]]s, and [[chili peppers]]. Fruits commonly considered berries but excluded by the botanical definition include strawberries, raspberries, and [[blackberries]], which are [[aggregate fruit]]s, and [[Morus (plant)|mulberries]], which are [[multiple fruit]]s. [[Watermelons]] and [[pumpkins]] are giant berries that fall into the category "[[Pepo (botany)|pepos]]". A plant bearing berries is said to be {{wikt-lang|en|bacciferous}} or {{wikt-lang|en|baccate}}. <!-- Society, culture and history --> Berries are eaten worldwide and often used in [[jam]]s, [[Fruit preserves|preserves]], [[cake]]s, or [[pie]]s. Some berries are commercially important. The berry industry varies from country to country as do types of berries cultivated or growing in the wild. Some berries such as raspberries and strawberries have been bred for hundreds of years and are distinct from their wild counterparts, while other berries, such as [[lingonberries]] and [[cloudberries]], grow almost exclusively in the wild. <!-- Edibility --> While many berries are edible, some are [[poisonous plant|poisonous]] to humans, such as those of [[deadly nightshade]] and [[pokeweed]]. Others, such as the [[white mulberry]], [[red mulberry]],{{zwj}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=200 |title=White mulberry – ''Morus alba'' |work=Ohio Perennial and Biennial Weed Guide |publisher=[[The Ohio State University]] |access-date=20 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120412062338/http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=200 |archive-date=2012-04-12}}</ref> and [[elderberry]],{{zwj}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Elderberry (''Sambucus'' Species)|url=https://novascotia.ca/museum/poison/?section=species&id=117|website=The Poison Plant Patch|publisher= [[Nova Scotia Museum]] |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141106212627/https://novascotia.ca/museum/poison/?section=species&id=117|access-date=13 August 2015|archive-date = 6 November 2014}}</ref> are poisonous when [[unripe]], but are edible when ripe. {{TOC limit|2}}
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