Seeds of the Giant Himalayan lily, Cardiocrinum giganteum. The picture shows mature seeds that have been shed from a dry capsule. Each is roughly tria

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Seeds of the Giant Himalayan lily, Cardiocrinum giganteum. The picture shows mature seeds that have been shed from a dry capsule. Each is roughly triangular in shape, and consists of a central region, enclosed by a thin membraneous layer that extends beyond the living tissues and acts as a wing to aid dispersal of the seed by wind. The central region of the seed ( brownish yellow) comprises mainly endosperm, a food tissue, which serves to support the initial growth of the embryo. In the seed at the centre of the picture, the embryo as a small darker shadow near the apex on the left-hand side of the giganteum seeds are shed from capsules that may be as much as 2-3m above ground level. Each seed weighs about 5mg. This, and the large area of the membraneous wing, ensures efficient wind dispersal of the seeds.

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Size: 5212px × 3468px
Photo credit: © DR JEREMY BURGESS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: biological, biology, botanical, botany, capsule, cardiocrinum, dispersal, embryo, endosperm, giant, giganteum, himalayan, lily, seed, win, wind