“Dragon tongue” mustard with four cotyledons (seed leaves)

Germinated outdoors so pardon the slug damage

    • The_v@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      7 months ago

      It’s a mutant. Likely caused by a spontaneous twining of the cotyledon immediatly after fertilization of the embryo. I’ve seen it a number of times. As the cotyledon is genetically separate from the embryo it is not passed on to the next generation.

        • The_v@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          7 months ago

          In angiosperms, double fertilization occurs. The pollen grain contains two sperm cells. In the female part of the flower, one gamete forms into an egg and two gametes fuse together to form a megagametophyte.

          Both the egg and the megagametophyte are fertilized by the pollen grain. The fertilized egg forms the embryo. The fertilized megagametophyte forms the endosperm . It is the fusion of 3 seperate gametes (triploid).

          The endosperm (nutrient storage structure) becomes the cotyledon.