Endosperm
Definition
The nutritive tissue inside many seeds, surrounding or adjacent to the embryo. Its presence, consistency (starchy, oily, ruminate), and extent are used alongside testa characters to identify fragmented seeds.
Related terms
- Cuticle
- The waxy, polymer layer covering the outer surface of leaf epidermal cells. It protects against water loss and herbivory but, forensically, it...
- Diaspore
- Any plant propagule adapted for dispersal, including seeds, single-seeded fruits, and seed-fruit units. Many diaspores have morphological adaptations (hooks, barbs, mucilage, wings)...
- Hilum
- The scar on a seed where it was attached to the funiculus inside the fruit. Shape, size, and position of the hilum...
- Testa
- The seed coat, derived from the integuments of the ovule. Its surface sculpture (smooth, reticulate, foveolate, echinate, and so on) is a...
- Venation
- The arrangement of veins within a leaf, including the hierarchy of midrib, secondary veins, and tertiary reticulation, and the shape of the...
Explained in
- Leaf and Seed Evidence: Identification and TransferThe nutritive tissue inside many seeds, surrounding or adjacent to the embryo. Its presence, consistency (starchy, oily, ruminate), and extent are used alongsi...