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Keywords = sclerotesta

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8 pages, 6736 KiB  
Brief Report
How Seeds Attract and Protect: Seed Coat Development of Magnolia
by Qiuhong Feng, Ming Cai, Honglin Li and Xin Zhang
Plants 2024, 13(5), 688; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13050688 - 29 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1735
Abstract
Seeds are one of the most important characteristics of plant evolution. Within a seed, the embryo, which will grow into a plant, can survive harsh environments. When the seeds are mature, the mother plant will disperse them from its body, allowing them to [...] Read more.
Seeds are one of the most important characteristics of plant evolution. Within a seed, the embryo, which will grow into a plant, can survive harsh environments. When the seeds are mature, the mother plant will disperse them from its body, allowing them to be taken away to grow in a new place. Otherwise, if the young generation grows alongside the mother plants in the same place, they will compete for sunlight and nutrition. The mother plants use different strategies to send away their seeds. One of these strategies is endozoochory, which means that the seeds disperse via ingestion by animals. There is a conflict between the seeds’ abilities to attract animals and protect the embryo within the digestion systems of animals. Magnolia seeds exhibit typical endozoochory. The seed coats of Magnolia feature sarcotestas and sclerotestas. The sarcotesta, which is fleshy, bright-colored, and edible, attracts animals. The sclerotesta is hard and woody, protecting the embryo from the digestive systems of animals. In this study, we used scanning electron and light microscopes to examine the development of the sarcotesta and sclerotesta of Magnolia stellata seed coats. The results showed that the sarcotesta and sclerotesta come from the outer integument. This result confirms the hypothesis of Asa Gray from 1848. The dependence of the seed dispersal strategy on structural development is discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Morphology and Phylogenetic Evolution)
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24 pages, 9200 KiB  
Article
Morphological Characteristics, Ultrastructure, and Chemical Constituents of the Endotesta in Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba L.)
by Fangdi Li, Ganping Liu, Linying Zhao, Xiaoge Gao, Zhuolong Shen, Fuliang Cao and Qirong Guo
Plants 2023, 12(20), 3560; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12203560 - 13 Oct 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4897
Abstract
Ginkgo biloba L. is a tree species of significant economic and ecological importance. Prior studies of the Ginkgo biloba seed coat have predominantly focused on the sarcotesta and sclerotesta, with less attention paid to the endotesta. In this study, the development and formation [...] Read more.
Ginkgo biloba L. is a tree species of significant economic and ecological importance. Prior studies of the Ginkgo biloba seed coat have predominantly focused on the sarcotesta and sclerotesta, with less attention paid to the endotesta. In this study, the development and formation of Ginkgo endotesta were examined using light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The structural properties of the mature endotesta were analyzed using micro-CT imaging and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicate that the endotesta possess a membranous structure primarily originating from the inner bead peridium, a segment of bead core tissue, and the macrospore membrane. The endotesta from the middle constriction line to the chalazal end comprises a single layer with a greyish-white papery structure. In contrast, the endotesta was divided into two inner and two outer layers, from the middle constriction line to the micropylar end. The outer endosperm adheres closely to the sclerotesta, while the inner endosperm adheres to the seed kernel. The surface of the endotesta was irregularly raised, with thicker wax at the chalazal end, whereas the micropylar end demonstrated similar characteristics with thinner wax and tumor layers. The endotesta contained 17 amino acids, 18 fatty acids, 10 trace elements, and 7 vitamins. Overall, its nutritional value was relatively well balanced. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytomorphology, Anatomy and Ultrastructure)
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10 pages, 4102 KiB  
Communication
Fresh and Dry Weight Relations Are Predictors of Cycas micronesica Seed Age
by Thomas E. Marler and Christopher A. Shaw
Horticulturae 2020, 6(2), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae6020029 - 18 May 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 7010
Abstract
Cycas micronesica is a foundation species in several Micronesian islands and its seeds have been a historical source of starch for the island residents. The species has become endangered by invasive specialist insect herbivores and conservationists struggle with the inability to estimate the [...] Read more.
Cycas micronesica is a foundation species in several Micronesian islands and its seeds have been a historical source of starch for the island residents. The species has become endangered by invasive specialist insect herbivores and conservationists struggle with the inability to estimate the age of observed seeds. To inform this agenda, we evaluated numerous Cycas micronesica seed traits to determine if any exhibited a relationship with age and a substantial change in absolute value. Of the 30 direct and derived seed traits that we evaluated, most of them were non-linear and exhibited minimal change after about 12 months in age. The only traits that emerged as unambiguous estimators of age were the quotients derived as gametophyte fresh weight/total seed fresh weight and sarcotesta dry weight/sclerotesta dry weight. These two simple metrics can be used to accurately estimate seed age for this arborescent cycad species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Propagation and Seeds)
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