326 FRUITS AND SEEDS 



ferent from the germination of one-celled reproductive 

 bodies, as, for example, the germination of the pollen 

 grain upon the stigma, or the germination of the spores of 

 lower plants, as the ferns. It is more accurate to speak 

 of seeds as sprouting than to speak of them as germinating. 

 The " germination " is really the sprouting of the embryo ; 

 to sprout is to give off branches. 



Since the seed, strictly speaking, does not germinate, 

 then it is evident that, strictly speaking, the seed is not a 

 reproductive body. It does not reproduce anything. It 

 simply protects and nourishes for a time a resting stage in 

 the growth of the young plant. It may be regarded as an 

 organ of protection, nutrition, and dispersal rather than 

 as an organ of reproduction. However, it is usual to regard 

 it as the latter, and here again there need be no objection 

 if there is no misunderstanding. 



When the young plant renews its growth, it draws upon 

 the food which is stored in the seed. As you have noted 

 (see page 66), this food may be stored in a tissue of the 

 seed called endosperm, or it may be stored in the cotyle- 

 dons which are a part of the embryo itself. It may be 

 large or small in amount, the amount of food determining 

 the size of the seed. Seeds vary in size from those which 

 are almost microscopic up to the coconut, which is the 

 largest of all seeds. The milk of the coconut as well as the 

 meat is rich in food. Evidently smallness of seeds tends 

 to be an advantage in dissemination, at least by wind, 

 while largeness tends to be of advantage in germination. 

 (See page 86.) 



You have already considered the advantage it is to the 

 young plants to be scattered abroad. You have also con- 

 sidered some of the means by which this scattering abroad 



