Seeds Key Terms
Angiosperm: A plant that has flowers and produces seeds enclosed within a carpel. This large group of organisms includes herbaceous plants, shrubs, grasses, and most trees.
Carpology: The study and science of seeds and their dispersal methods.
Cotyledon: Embryonic leaf in seed-bearing plants; the first leaves to emerge from a germinating seed.
Cross-Pollination: Pollination of a flower or plant with pollen from another flower or plant.
Cultivar: A plant variety that has been produced in cultivation by selective breeding.
Damping Off: A plant disease occurring in excessively damp conditions; in particular the collapse and death of young seedlings as a result of a fungal infection.
Dehiscent: A seed that is characterized by splitting or bursting open.
Dormancy: An adaptive trait which helps seeds to germinate when they are most likely to flourish.
Embryo: The fertilized ovule of a new plant, contained within a seed.
Endosperm: Tissue that surrounds and nourishes the embryo in the seeds of angiosperms.
Epicotyl: The region of an embryo or seedling stem above the cotyledon.
Gelatinous Seeds: Seeds that secrete a gelatinous substance called mucilage.
Germination: The development of a plant from a seed or spore after a period of dormancy.
Gymnosperm: A plant that has seeds unprotected by an ovary or fruit.
Hardening: The process of exposing transplants or seedlings gradually to outdoor conditions as a way of preventing transplant shock.
Heirloom: Rare cultivars of fruits and vegetables whose seeds have been saved and planted over several generations.
Hilum: A scar on a seed marking the point of attachment to its seed vessel.
Hypocotyl: The part of the stem of an embryo plant beneath the stalks of the seed leaves of cotyledons and directly above the root.
Indehiscent: The quality of a pod or fruit that does not split open to release seeds when ripe.
Micropyle: An often visible small opening on the surface of an ovule, through which pollen tube penetrates.
Ovule: The structure of a flowering plant that produces egg cells and develops into a seed.
Perlite: A form of obsidian characterized by spherulites formed by cracking of volcanic glass during cooling used as insulation or plant growth media.
Radicle: A part of a plant embryo that develops into the primary root.
Scarification: The process of breaking down or weakening a seed's outer coating to help it germinate.
Seed: A flowering plant's unit of reproduction which has all the materials needed to develop into another individual plant.
Seed Coat: The outermost covering of the seed that shelters and conserves the embryo inside.
Seed Tape: A strip of paper or other material with seeds embedded at regular intervals for easier planting and spacing.
Spermatophytes: A group of plants that produce seeds, including both gymnosperms and angiosperms.
Stratification: The process of pre-treating seeds in order to simulate natural conditions that seeds would experience in the soil.
Substrate: A material or mix of materials that provides a foundation for plants to grow in, offering support, water, and nutrients.
Vermiculite: A naturally occurring mineral that can be used in gardening as a soil amendment to help with drainage, aeration, and nutrient retention.
Carpology: The study and science of seeds and their dispersal methods.
Cotyledon: Embryonic leaf in seed-bearing plants; the first leaves to emerge from a germinating seed.
Cross-Pollination: Pollination of a flower or plant with pollen from another flower or plant.
Cultivar: A plant variety that has been produced in cultivation by selective breeding.
Damping Off: A plant disease occurring in excessively damp conditions; in particular the collapse and death of young seedlings as a result of a fungal infection.
Dehiscent: A seed that is characterized by splitting or bursting open.
Dormancy: An adaptive trait which helps seeds to germinate when they are most likely to flourish.
Embryo: The fertilized ovule of a new plant, contained within a seed.
Endosperm: Tissue that surrounds and nourishes the embryo in the seeds of angiosperms.
Epicotyl: The region of an embryo or seedling stem above the cotyledon.
Gelatinous Seeds: Seeds that secrete a gelatinous substance called mucilage.
Germination: The development of a plant from a seed or spore after a period of dormancy.
Gymnosperm: A plant that has seeds unprotected by an ovary or fruit.
Hardening: The process of exposing transplants or seedlings gradually to outdoor conditions as a way of preventing transplant shock.
Heirloom: Rare cultivars of fruits and vegetables whose seeds have been saved and planted over several generations.
Hilum: A scar on a seed marking the point of attachment to its seed vessel.
Hypocotyl: The part of the stem of an embryo plant beneath the stalks of the seed leaves of cotyledons and directly above the root.
Indehiscent: The quality of a pod or fruit that does not split open to release seeds when ripe.
Micropyle: An often visible small opening on the surface of an ovule, through which pollen tube penetrates.
Ovule: The structure of a flowering plant that produces egg cells and develops into a seed.
Perlite: A form of obsidian characterized by spherulites formed by cracking of volcanic glass during cooling used as insulation or plant growth media.
Radicle: A part of a plant embryo that develops into the primary root.
Scarification: The process of breaking down or weakening a seed's outer coating to help it germinate.
Seed: A flowering plant's unit of reproduction which has all the materials needed to develop into another individual plant.
Seed Coat: The outermost covering of the seed that shelters and conserves the embryo inside.
Seed Tape: A strip of paper or other material with seeds embedded at regular intervals for easier planting and spacing.
Spermatophytes: A group of plants that produce seeds, including both gymnosperms and angiosperms.
Stratification: The process of pre-treating seeds in order to simulate natural conditions that seeds would experience in the soil.
Substrate: A material or mix of materials that provides a foundation for plants to grow in, offering support, water, and nutrients.
Vermiculite: A naturally occurring mineral that can be used in gardening as a soil amendment to help with drainage, aeration, and nutrient retention.