CORN “SEED” 
225 
inence, the scar which marks the place 
where one thread of the so-called silks 
was attached. This is more prominent 
in pop corn. At the base is a stalk by 
which the kernel is attached to the cob 
during its development (Figure 211). 
Corn differs from the bean in the position 
of its embryo, which is at one side of the 
food supply. The latter is called the 
endosperm (en'do-sperm: Greek, endo, 
within; sperma, a 
seed). Another differ¬ 
ence between the two 
is that the com has a 
single modified cotyle- Figure 214 - — Plu - 
. n i f7 mule Free, but 
don called the scutel- Bent by Accident . 
lum (sku-tel'lum: 
Latin, diminutive of scutum, a shield)? 
the use of which is to absorb and di¬ 
gest the food and carry it to the embryo 
(Figure 212). The cotyledon of the 
com never appears above ground. The 
corn embryo has its leaves rolled into a 
tight, pointed bud, an adaptation which 
enables it easily to pierce the earth above. 
The root is at the lower part of a short 
hypocotyl. 
As the corn has but one cotyledon, 
it belongs to the class of plants known 
as monocotyledons (mon-o-kot-y-le'- 
don : Greek, mono, one ; kotyledon, socket). 
The bean, having two cotyledons, be- 
™u™r ton© 3 t0 the class dicotyledons (di-kQt- 
Root system develop- y-lg'd6n: Greek, di, two; kotyledon, 
ing*. socket). 
