The Morphology and Anatomy of Ovule and Fruit Development in Arachis hypogaea L

The vascular system of the monocarpellary gynoecium with tenwell differentiated traces and a few cross links probably representsa precocious development of the post-fertilization vasculatureof the fruit wall. The restriction of the two integuments ofthe ovule to the micropylar half, and the endothecial natureof the chalazal cells adjoining the embryo sac appear to indicatea pathway of derivation of the unitegmic tenumucellate ovulefrom the bitegmic crassinucellate one. During double fertilization,a dark staining refractive body appears in the nucleolus ofthe egg as well as the fusion product of the polar nuclei. The peg that carries the ovary into the soil after fertilizationgrows by the activity of a rib meristem at the basal solid partof the gynoecium. During sub-soil fruit development, the ovarywall develops a prominent spongy inner zone which finally disappears,and a peripheral zone that forms the mature fruit wall. Theabinitio nuclear endosperm is much reduced and degenerates afterproducing a few cell layers in the chalazal half alone. Seeddevelopment is pachychalazal. The main vascular supply of theseed branches at the chalaza into eight to ten strands in theseed coat. All seeds that have a vascular ramification in theseed coat are probably pachychalazal. In the variety Valencia, diminutive fruits with viable seedmay develop aerially from pegs that fail to grow long enoughto reach the soil from the higher nodes. Arachis hypogaea L., groundnut, fruit development, seed development, carpel vasculature, seed vasculature, pachychalaza