Embryo chart

Broad

Embryo small, as wide or wider than high and restricted to the lower half of the seed; seeds usually medium to large, endosperm abundant and generally starchy, cotyledons minute or larger.

Capitate

Embryo small and restricted to the lower half of the seed, expanded above into a head-like form; seeds usually medium to large, endosperm abundant and starchy, cotyledons minute.

Baumea laxa (stained embryo)

Lateral

Embryo basal-lateral or lateral, inclined to expand in the plane of the periphery, endosperm always starchy, small to half or rarely larger.

Amphibromus archeri (seed)

Amphibromus archeri (transverse cut)

Peripheral

Embryo ordinarily elongate and large, quarter to dominant, contiguous in part at least to the testa and often curved, perisperm (not endosperm) conspicuously starchy, central or in a few instances lateral.

Techicornia lepidosperma

Ptilotus beckerianus
transverse cut)

Rudimentary

Endosperm if present is non-starchy. Embryos not peripheral and is differentiated into organs. Embryo small in relation to endosperm and seed with Embryo:Seed length ratio of ≤ 0.5. Embryo as wide as long.

Ranunculus sessiliflora ssp.
pilulifer

Ranunculus sessiliflora ssp.
pilulifer (transverse cut)

Linear Underdeveloped

Billardiera sericophora

Lomandra multiflora ssp. dura

Billardiera sericophora
(transverse cut)

Linear Fully Developed

Endosperm if present is non-starchy. Embryos not peripheral and is differentiated into organs. Embryo large in relation to endosperm or endosperm lacking with Embryo:Seed length ratio of > 0.5. Cotyledon(s) not expanded, embryo longer than wide. Can be straight, bent, curved or coiled.

Boronia edwardsii
(linear straight embryo)

Correa calycina
(linear bent embryo)

Codonocarpus pyramidalis
(linear coiled embryo)

Arthropodium strictum
(linear coiled embryo)

Codonocarpus pyramidalis
(transverse cut)

Spatulate Underdeveloped

Wahlenbergia queenslandica

Wahlenbergia queenslandica
(transverse cut)

Spatulate Fully Developed

Endosperm if present is non-starchy. Embryos not peripheral and is differentiated into organs. Embryo large in relation to endosperm or endosperm lacking with Embryo:Seed length ratio of > 0.5. Cotyledons expanded and wider than the stalk but not invested into the stalk.

Goodenia berardiana
(excised embryo)

Senecio glossanthus
(excised embryo)

Zygophyllum simile
(transverse cut)

Investing

Endosperm if present is non-starchy. Embryos not peripheral and is differentiated into organs. Embryo large in relation to endosperm or endosperm lacking with Embryo:Seed length ratio of > 0.5. Cotyledons expanded and wider than the stalk and invested into the stalk.

Acacia pinguifolia (transverse cut)

Bent

Endosperm if present is non-starchy. Embryos not peripheral and is differentiated into organs. Embryo large in relation to endosperm or endosperm lacking with Embryo:Seed length ratio of > 0.5. Cotyledons expanded and wider than the stalk which is jackknife bent.

Harmsiodoxa blennodioides

Swainsona tephrotrica
(transverse cut)

Folded

Endosperm if present is non-starchy. Embryos not peripheral and is differentiated into organs. Embryo large in relation to endosperm or endosperm lacking with Embryo:Seed length ratio of > 0.5. Cotyledons expanded and wider than the stalk and is folded in various ways.

Sida goniocarpa
(excised embryo)

Dodonaea procumbens
(excised embryo)

Eucalyptus falciformis

Sida goniocarpa
(transverse cut)

Undifferentiated

Endosperm if present is non-starchy. Embryos not peripheral and not differentiated into organs.
No example.

Embryo Types