CURL UP AND DICOT

When was the last time you planted a seed and watched it grow?  I have planted lots of seeds, but in my rush to get things done, I rarely take the time to observe the phenomenon of sprouting and the unfurling of the plant’s first few leaves.  To be honest, I often forget the basics too – like watering.

A seed is a miracle waiting to happen.  Within the protective seed coat, is everything the plant needs to grow to self-sufficiency.  The plant embryo is in a state of “suspended animation” until the seed is exposed to the correct environmental conditions.  When those conditions are met (suitable temperature, moisture…), the embryo begins to grow.  Growth costs energy and this energy is stored in the seed leaves (cotyledon).  If a seed contains two seed leaves, then it is described as a dicot (two cotyledons).  If a plant has a single cotyledon then it is a monocot (mono = one).  The cotyledons will provide energy for growth until the first true leaves are formed.  Then they begin the process of photosynthesis.