Glossary Details – Lecythidaceae

Glossary Details:

Title: Circumferentially winged seeds and leaf-like cotyledons of Couratari. Drawing by B. Angell.

Description: Circumferentially winged seeds and leaf-like cotyledons of Couratari. Note also the operculum, columella, and calycine ring. Note that the cotyledons are similar to one another, i.e., they are isocotylar and that the cotyledons are pulled from the seed coat upon germination (phanerocotylar). In addition, the cotyledons are above ground at all of stages of their development (epigeal).

Term:

Seed wing circumferential

Definition:

A wing completely surrounding the circumference of the seed.

Notes:

In the Lecythidaceae, this kind of wing is only found among species of Couratari. The wing is probably derived from a spreading funicle and not a basal aril as is the case for the unilateral wing of species of Allantoma and Cariniana.