Morphology of Seeds.pptx

Seed Morphology

1. SEED

2. Seed is matured ovule that consist of an embryonic plant together with a store of food (endosperm), all surrounded by a protective coat (Seed coat/ Testa ).

3. Types of Seeds A Seed is primarily of two types. The two types are: Monocotyledonous Seed Dicotyledonous Seed

4. Monocotyledonous Seed It has only one cotyledon. There is only one outer layering of the seed coat. Monocot seed has the following parts:

5. Seed Coat:  In the seed of cereals such as maize, the seed coat is membranous and generally fused with the fruit wall, called Hull. Endosperm:  The endosperm is bulky and stores food. Generally, monocotyledonous seeds are endospermic but some as in orchids are non-endospermic. Aleuron layer:  The outer covering of endosperm separates the embryo by a  proteinous  layer called aleurone layer.

6. Embryo:  The embryo is small and situated in a groove at one end of the endosperm. Scutellum :  This is one large and shield-shaped cotyledon. Embryonal axis:  Plumule and radicle are the two ends. Coleoptile and coleorhiza :  The plumule and radicle are enclosed in sheaths. They are coleoptile and coleorhiza .

7. Dicotyledonous Seed A dicotyledonous seed has two cotyledons. It has the following parts:

8. Seed coat:  This is the outermost covering of a seed. The seed coat has two layers, the outer  testa  and the inner  tegmen . Hilum :  The hilum is a scar on the seed coat through which the developing seed was attached to the fruit. Micropyle :  It is a small pore present above the hilum . Embryo:  It consists of an embryonal axis and two cotyledons.

9. Cotyledons:  These are often fleshy and full of reserve food materials. Radicle and plumule :  They are present at the two ends of the embryonal axis. Endosperm:  In some seeds such as castor, the endosperm formed as a result of double fertilisation, is a food storing tissue. In plants such as bean, gram and pea, the endosperm is not present in the matured seed. They are known as non- endospermous .

10. Non- albuminous – These seeds do not contain any residual endosperm to store the food. Example: pea, groundnut. Albuminous – These seeds consist of an endosperm to function as a storage for the food. Example: wheat, maize.