MOW A PLANT GETS OUT Oi' THE SEED. 



15 



ance disappears, it becomes swollen and much larger since muc'i 

 more water has been absorbed. We shall now remove the shell. 

 At one side we note the yellowish, elongated body, the germ or em- 

 bryo. Fig. g. The other part of the seed is white and mealy. This is 

 the endosperm. From this endosperm corn starch 

 is made. This endosperm contains a nourishing 

 substance which is used to assist the small embryo 

 to grow. The small embryo may be removed. It 

 will be found to consist of a single seed-leaf, the 

 small initial root and stem, as well as a small 

 plumide consisting of several very small leaves.. 



6. PEANUT. The peanut, though commonly called 

 a nut. is not a nut but a pod. It belongs to the 

 same family that the pea and bean do. While the 

 seeds of the pea and bean are produced in a pod 

 above the ground, those of the peanut are pro- 

 duced in a pod which matures in the soil. The 

 peanut matures its seed in a rather interesting way. 

 The flowers are born in the axles of the leaves 



Figure g. 



shov/ing embryo. / / closc to the grouud. After fertilization the stalk 



young leaflet; p r . . 



yourg rootlet Dark- elongates and pushes the little pod into the 



ened portion is albu- ., -^^ -^ j i 1 i i 



men. soil. Mere it developes and produces tlie 



pod so familiar to most persons. It is roughened, shovring numer- 

 ous veins on the outside and small depressions. On opening these 

 pods 3^ou wall find two or three or sometimes only one seed w^ith a 

 brown covering. The brown covering is the seed-coat or testa and 

 is marked by several longitudinal deeper colored lines. On open- 

 ing a seed one observes that it has a consjDicuous plumule between 

 the two cotyledons vrith a radicle extending beyond the latter. 

 Fig. 10. 



7. DATE PALM. The Seed of tha 

 date palm is rather easy to obtain 

 and it is of interest because its 

 reserve food is not starch, but 

 fats and albuminoids, and a sub- 

 stance which is similar to vege- 

 table ivory. The seed is extreme- 

 ly difficult to cut on this account. 

 The seed is elono'ated with a 



Embryo of peanut exposed showing two 

 cotyledons, '^ot\ the plumule, /; and the 

 primary root or radicle, ''. The caulicle or 

 initial stem just below plumule. 



Figure lo. 



