he went on, "They are joined together in one spot, the hilum, as by a sort of hinge. Iwonder whether I can spread the two seed-leaves open without breaking the hinge. That"s good. Now have a look at this little hinge. It is the most important part of the seed, for it is the germ of the new plant.
"Look at this part of it which points upwards. It is called the plumule. It is really a tiny bud,which will make its way up through the soil, and form the stem and leaves. The other part pointing downwards makes its way into the soil and becomes the root. It is called the radicle. Radicle means a little root."SUMMARY
The seed of a bean consists of two parts, or seed-leaves, joined together at the hilum by a little hinge. This hinge is the germ of the new plant. Part of it, the plumule, will grow upwards through the soil; the other part, the radicle, will make its way downwards, and form the root.
Lesson 54
Seedlings
