Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Functional aspects of mature seed coat of theCannaceae

  • Published:
Plant Systematics and Evolution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Cannaceae seeds have been analysed regarding seed coat structure, germination and macromolecular composition of the seed coats. Data of several mass spectrometric techniques were combined with those of microscopic and histochemical techniques to acquire insight into the functions of the seed coat.Cannaceae seeds have an exotestal layer of Malpighian cells with a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic part. The hydrophobic part is mainly responsible for the impermeability of the seed and contains silica, callose, lignin as water repellent substances. Water can only enter the seed after a certain temperature-induced opening of an imbibition lid. During imbibition the hydrophilic part of the Malpighian cells swells and the seed coat ruptures due to differences in pressure in the upper and lower part of the Malpighian cells.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ballard, L. A. T., 1973: Physical barriers to germination. — Seed Sci. Techn.1: 285–303.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bevilacqua, L. R., Martinucci, R., Botto, W., 1985: Presenza di callose nel seme inpermeabele diGleditsia triacanthos. — Atti. Accad. Ligure Sci. Lett.62: 73–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • —, 1987: “Callose” in the impermeable seed coat ofSesbania punicea. — Ann. Bot. (London)59: 335–341.

    Google Scholar 

  • —, 1989: The watertight dormancy ofMelilotus alba seeds: further observations in the palisade cell wall. — Canad. J. Bot.67: 3453–3456.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhalla, P. L., Slattery, H. D., 1984: Callose deposites make clover seeds impermeable to water. — Ann. Bot. (London)53: 125–128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boesewinkel, F. D., Bouman, F., 1995: The seed: structure and function. — InNegbi, M., Kigel, J., (Eds): Seed development and germination, pp. 1–24. — New York, Basel, Hong Kong: Marcel Dekker.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boon, J. J., 1989: An introduction to pyrolysis mass spectrometry of lignocellulosic material: case studies on barley straw, corn stem andAgropyron. — InChesson, A., Orskov, E. R., (Eds): Physicochemical characterization of plant residues for industrial and feed use, pp. 25–45. — London, New York: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chalker-Scott, L., Krahmer, R. L., 1989: Microscopic studies of tannin formation and distribution in plant tissues. — InHemmingway, R. W., Karchesy, J. J., Brauham, S. J., (Eds): Chemistry and significance of condensed tannins, pp. 345–368. — New York, London: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coe, H. S., Martin, J. N., 1920: Sweet clover seed. II Structure and chemical nature of the seed coat and its relation to impermeable seeds of sweet clover. — Bull U.S.D.A.844: 26–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahlgren, R. M. T., Clifford, H. T., Yeo, P. F., 1985: The families of the monocotyledons: Structure, evolution and taxonomy. — Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, G. L., 1966: Systematic embryology of the angiosperms. — New York, London, Sydney.

  • Egley, G. H., Paul, R. N. Jr., 1981: Morphological observations on the early imbibition of water bySida spinosa (Malvaceae) seed. — Amer. J. Bot.68: 1056–1065.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ernst, W. H. O., Ham, N. F. van der, 1988: Population structure and rejuvination ofSchoenus nigricans in coastal wet dune slacks. — Acta Bot. Neerl.37: 451–463.

    Google Scholar 

  • —, 1995: Silicon in developing nuts of the sedgeSchoenus nigricans. — J. Pl. Physiol.146: 481–488.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ford, C. W., Hartley, R. D., 1990: Cyclodimers ofp-coumaric and ferulic acids in the cell walls of tropical grasses. — J. Sci. Food Agric.50: 29–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fry, S. C., Miller, J. G., 1989: Towards a working model of the growing plant cell: phenolic cross-linking reaction in the primary walls of dicotyledons. — InLewis, N. G., Paice, M. G., (Eds): Plant cell wall polymers, pp. 33–46.-Washington, D.C.: American Chemical Society.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gahan, P. B., 1984: Plant histochemistry and cytochemistry. — London: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galletti, G. C., Reeves, J. B., 1992: Pyrolysis/gas chromatograph/ion-trapdetection of polyphenols (vegetable tannins): preliminary results. — Organic Mass Spectrometr.27: 226–230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gopinathan, M. C., Babu, C. R., 1985: Structural diversity and its adaptive significance in seeds ofVigna minima (Roxb.)Ohwi & Ohashi and its allies (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae). — Ann. Bot. (London)56: 723–732.

    Google Scholar 

  • Graven, P., Koster, C. G. de, Boon, J. J., Bouman, F., 1996: Structure and macromolecular composition of the seed coat of theMusaceae. — Ann. Bot. (London)77: 105–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grootjen, C. J., Bouman, F., 1988: Seed structure inCannaceae: taxonomic and ecological implications. — Ann. Bot. (London)61: 363–371.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guan, K. L., 1990: Studies on dormancy ofCornus officinalis seed. — ln: International conference on seed science and technology, March 12–15 1990, Hangzhou, China abstract p. 52.

  • Gutterman, Y., 1978: Seed coat permeability as function of photoperiodical treatments of the mother plants during seed maturation in the dessert annual plant:Trigonella arabica Del. — J. Arid. Environm.1: 141–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamly, D. H., 1935: The light line inMelilotus alba. — Bot. Gaz.96: 755–757.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanna, P. J., 1984: Anatomical features of the seed coat ofAcacia kempeana Mueller which relate to increased germination rate induced by heat treatment. — New Phytol.96: 23–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartley, R. D., Morrison iii, W. H., Balza, F., Towers, G. H. N., 1990a: Substituted truxillic and truxinic acids in cell walls ofCynodon dactylon. — Phytochemistry29: 3699–3703.

    Google Scholar 

  • —, 1990b: Cross-linking of cell wall phenolic arabinoxylans in graminaceous plants. — Phytochemistry29: 3705–3709.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ishii, T., 1991: Isolation and characterization of diferuloyol arabionoxylan hexasaccharide from bamboo shoot cell-walls. — Carbohyd. Res.219: 15–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kress, W. J., 1990: The phylogeny and classification of theZingiberales. — Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard.77: 698–721.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krisnamurthy, K. V., 1988: Methods in plant histochemistry. — Chetput, Madras: Visnawathan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lanning, F. C., Eleuterius, L. N., 1992: Siclica and ash in seeds of cultivated grains and native plants. — Ann. Bot. (London)69: 151–160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerman, J. C., Cigliano, E. M., 1971: New carbon-14 evidence for six hundred years oldCanna compacta seeds. — Nature232: 568–570.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manning, J. C., van Staden, J., 1985: The development of the testa and tracheid bar inErythrina lysistemon Hutch. (Leguminosae:Papilionoideae). — Protoplasma129: 157–167.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulder, M. M., Vanderhage, E. R. E., Boon, J. J., 1992: Analytical in source pyrolytic methylation electron impact mass spectrometry of phenolic acids in biological matrices. — Phytochem. Analysis3: 165–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Netolitzky, F., 1926: Anatomie der Angiospermen-Samen. — Handbuch der Pflanzenanatomie,X. — Berlin: Borntraeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pouwels, A. D., Boon, J. J., 1990: Analysis of beech wood samples, its milled wood lignin and polysaccharide fractions by Curie-point and platinum filament pyrolysis mass spectrometry. — J. Analytical Appl. Pyrolysis17: 97–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Qi, M. Q., Upadhyaya, M. K., Furness, N. H., Ellis, B. E., 1993: Mechanism of seed dormancy inCynoglossum officinale L. — J. Pl. Physiol.142: 325–330.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheijen, M. A., Boon, J. J., 1989: Loss of oligomer information in pyrolysis-desorption/chemical-ionization mass spectrometry of amylose due to the influence of potassium hydroxide. — Rap. Commun. Mass Spectrosc.7: 238–240.

    Google Scholar 

  • Serrato-Valenti, G., Cornara, L., Lotito, S., Quagliotti, L., 1992: Seed coat structure ofAbelmoschus esculentus. Chalazal region and water entry. — Ann. Bot. (London)69: 313–321.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sivori, E., Nakayama, F., Cigliano, E., 1968: Germination of Achira seed (Canna sp.) approximately 550 years old. — Nature219: 1269–1270.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spurny, M., 1973: The imbibition process. — lnHeydecker, W., (Ed.): Seed ecology, pp. 367–389. — London: Butterworth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swain, T., 1965: The tannins. — InBonner, J., Vanner, J. E., (Eds): Plant biochemistry, pp. 552–580. — New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomlinson, P. B., 1962: Phylogeny of theScitaminae. Morphological and anatomical considerations. — Evolution16: 192–213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tran, V. N., Cavanagh, A. K., 1984: Structural aspects of dormancy. — InMurray, D. R., (Ed.): Seed physiology.2. Germination and reserve mobilization. — Orlando: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Staden, J., Manning, J. C., Kelly, K. M., 1989: Legume seeds—the structure: function equation. — InStirton, C. H., Zarucchi, J. L., (Eds): Advances in legume biology. — Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard.19: 417–450.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wehling, K., Niester, C., Boon, J. J., Willemse, M. T. M., Wiermann, R., 1989:p-Coumaric acid—a monomer in the sporopollenin skeleton. — Planta179: 376–380.

    Google Scholar 

  • Werker, E., 1980/1981: Seed dormancy as explained by the anatomy of embryo envelopes. — Israel J. Bot.29: 22–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • —, 1973: Variability inProsopsis farcata in Israel: anatomical features of the seed. — Bot. J. Linn. Soc.66: 223–232.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wittich, P. E., Graven, P., 1995: Histochemical study of the development of the phytomelan layer in the seed coat ofGasteria verrucosa (Mill.)H. Duval. — Protoplasma187: 72–78.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hugo de Vries-Laboratory, University of Amsterdam, Kruislaan 318, NL-1098 SM, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Peter Graven & Ferry Bouman

  2. FOM Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Unit for Mass Spectrometry of Macromolecular Systems, Kruislaan 407, NL-1098 SJ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Peter Graven, Chris G. de Koster & Jaap J. Boon

Authors
  1. Peter Graven
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chris G. de Koster
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jaap J. Boon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ferry Bouman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Graven, P., de Koster, C.G., Boon, J.J. et al. Functional aspects of mature seed coat of theCannaceae . Pl Syst Evol 205, 223–240 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01464407

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01464407

Key words

Search

Navigation