WB01343_.gif (599 bytes)   The Seed-3  WB01345_.gif (616 bytes)

Legume seeds are of tremendous agronomic significance and the Fabacea is one of the largest and most important families of flowering plants. Consequently, we will examine the major characteristics of representative legume seeds.

We will use Honey Locust (Gleditisia) as our global model.

GleditsiaFruit-240Lab.jpg (36901 bytes)
Immature Gleditisia Fruit		 GledSeed250.jpg (56055 bytes)
Immature Seed External View
GleditsiaSeedTwoPartsLab.jpg (85732 bytes)
Immature Seed Split Open: A Cotyledon and Root Apex are readily visible.		 GleditsiaSeedFourParts-240-Lab.jpg (95202 bytes)
Dissected Seed: Note the presence of a semitransparent Endosperm plus the Embryo.
GleditsiaWholeEmbLabHypRoot250.jpg (87987 bytes)
Complete Embryo with both Cotyledons visible as well as the Hypocotyl. The Hypocotyl is the region of the stem BELOW the Cotyledons.

GledSeedHalfHueLab.jpg (87778 bytes)
Embryo with one Cotyledon Removed: The Epicotyl with macroscopic Leaves is visible. The SAM is located at the base of the leaf primordia. The Cotyledon Scar is visible. This marks the Cotyledonary Node! H = Hypocotyl.
The Mature Seed has no visible Endosperm.
This is consumed by the Cotyledons.

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