MORPHOLOGY 



CHAPTER II 



THE SEED 



Ordinarily plants are seen to spring from seeds. It 

 would therefore be natural to begin the study of 

 morphology with the examination of seeds. 



First of all, let us take a chhola, boot, or Gram 

 (fig. 6) and examine its parts. For the purpose of 



h — 4- 



Fig^. 6. — Chhola, Boot, or Gram Seed (Cicef arietinurn) 



w, Micropyle. h, Hilum. t. Testa removed, c, Cotyledons. 

 Tt Radicle. ^, Plumule. 



examination it would be convenient to take a chhola 

 which has been kept soaked in water for about twelve 

 hours. Externally the seed is pointed, and slightly 

 bent at one end and rounded at the other. From the 

 pointed end, along the concave side of the seed, there 

 is a well-marked line. Just below the pointed end 

 there is a prominent dark-coloured round pit, the 

 micropyle (ot), on the line, and farther down a dark- 

 coloured scar, the hilum (Ji), on the same line. The 

 scar marks the point where the seed was attached to 

 the seed-vessel or fruit, and the pit marks the spot 

 from which, as you will see presently, the primary 

 root comes out on germination. 



