Tag: what is a seed?

Endosperm represents the food storing tissue of a seed. It is produced as a result of double fertilisation in angiosperms. In most monocots and some dicot seeds, the food reserve remains in the endosperm. They are called endospermic or albuminous seeds, e.g., maize, wheat, castor bean, coconut, barley, rubber. However, in the majority of dicot seeds(e.g., orchids, Sagittaria), the endosperm is consumed during seed development and the food is stored in cotyledons and other regions. They are called non endospermic or exalbuminous seeds.

The coconut is a drupe, a multicarpellary ovary is not found  in coconut. The mesocarp is fibrous or dry (termed a husk), so this type of fruit is classified as a simple dry fruit, fibrous drupe. Unlike other drupes, the coconut seed is unlikely to be dispersed by being swallowed by fauna, due to its large size. It can, however, float extremely long distances across oceans.
Fig is multiple fruit known as synconium type of fruit. It is fleshy, formed from entire inflorescence lined inside with numerous female flowers, each forming tiny one seeded drupelet.
In a guava entire pericarp is fleshy, although skin is rough sometimes, many seeded. It is a berry type of fleshy fruit.
Thus, the correct answer is option B.

Botanically, the coconut palm is not a tree since there is no bark, no branches, or secondary growth. A coconut palm is a woody perennial monocotyledon with the trunk being the stem.

The assertion is correct but the reason for the assertion is not right. Maize is an albuminous seed. The seeds are endospermic or albuminous where the embryo is embedded in the endosperm and nucellus, which the seedling will use upon germination. In maize the pericarp of the fruit is fused with the seed coat referred to as caryopsis. The cob is close to a multiple fruit in structure, except that the individual fruits -the kernels never fuse into a single mass. The grains are about the size of peas, and adhere in regular rows around a white, pithy substance, which forms the ear.
Therefore, the correct answer is option C.

Seeds that possess a special food storage tissue called as the endosperm are said to be albuminous and those which have no such tissue for storage are said to be exalbuminous or non-endospermic. In albuminous seeds, food is being stored in endosperm the cotyledons are small and thin while on exalbuminous seeds cotyledon store up food and become thick and fleshy. When germination of seed takes place then food is used by embryo whether it is stored in endosperm or in cotyledon. Epigeal germination implies that the cotyledons are pushed above ground. The hypocotyl (part of the stem below the cotyledon) grows, while the epicotyl (part of the stem above the cotyledon) stays the same length. In this way, the hypocotyl pushes the cotyledon upward. Hypogeal germination implies that the cotyledons stay below the ground. The epicotyl grows, while the hypocotyl stays the same length. In this way, the epicotyl pushes the plumule above the ground. 

Rosary pea (Abrus precatorius) is a slender, perennial climber, that twines around trees, shrubs, and hedges. It is a legume with alternate compound leaves, 2 to 5 inches long, with 5 to 15 pairs of oblong leaflets. 

The edible parts of the seeds mentioned are as follows,
French Bean- cotyledons, Coconut - endosperm, testa, cotyledon and embryo
cashew nut - cotyledon, litchi - juicy aril,
groundnut - seeds, pomegranate - testa,
walnut - cotyledons, tamarind - mesocarp,
Therefore, the correct answer is option A.