Seed coat (= testa)
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Title
Seed coat (= testa)
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Definition
The outer covering of a seed derived from the integuments of the ovule.
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Notes
The seed coat of neotropical Lecythidaceae develops from bitegmic ovules and presents variation that help in the identification and genera and species. For example, the seed coat of Bertholletia excelsa is very thick and hard, that of species of Couroupita possess epidermal trichomes, and some species Gustavia have relative thick, black seed coats and others have very thin and fragile ones. See Tsou and Mori (2002) for more details about the seed coats of neotropical Lecythidaceae. Another feature of seed coats of use in classification is the pattern and nature of the veins and the presence of secondary veins between the major veins.
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Related Terms
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