Berry (botany) fruits, the edible part is not generated by the ovary. Berry-like examples include: The female seed cones of some conifers have fleshy and merged scales, giving them a berry-like appearance. Juniper "berries" (family Cupressaceae), in particular those of "Juniperus communis", are used to flavour gin. The seed cones of species in the Podocarpaceae and Taxaceae families have a bright colour when fully developed, increasing the resemblance to true berries. The "berries" of yews ("Taxus" species) consist of a female seed cone with which develops a fleshy red aril partially enclosing the poisonous seed. The Latin word ' or ' (plural
Berry practice has come under scrutiny in the past years because of the low wages and poor living standard for the "berry-pickers", as well as the lack of worker safety. Once ripened, berries are typically of a contrasting color to their background (often of green leaves), making them visible and attractive to frugivorous animals and birds. This assists the wide dispersal of the plants' seeds. Berry colors are due to natural plant pigments, such as anthocyanins, together with other flavonoids localized mainly in berry skins, seeds and leaves. Although berry pigments have antioxidant properties "in vitro", there is insufficient physiological evidence