pineapple

Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries.[1] It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone.[2] The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae.[3] Besides being produced for consumption, it can be grown as an ornamental or houseplant, obtained from the crown of a supermarket fruit.[4] Some sources say that the plant will flower after about 24 months and produce a fruit during the following six months,[5] while others indicate a 20-month timetable.[4]

Pineapple can be consumed fresh, canned or juiced and can be used in a variety of ways. It is popularly used in desserts, salads (usually tropical fruit salads, but it can vary), jams, yogurts, ice creams, various candies, as a complement to meat dishes and in fruit cocktail. The popularity of the pineapple is due to its sweet-sour taste. The core of the pineapple is continuous with the stem supporting the fruit and with the crown, a feature unique among cultivated fruits.[6]

Pineapple is used for many other things aside from consumption. In the Philippines, pineapple leaves are used as the source of a textile fiber called piña. This fiber can used in a variety of ways such as a wall paper and a component of furnishings.[7]
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineapple