Anatomía de la semilla de cuatro especies mexicanas de Hippocratea (Celastraceae)

The morphology and anatomy of mature seeds of H. acapulcensis, H. celastroides. H. excelsa y H. volubilis were studied by light microscopy. In all four species the seeds are winged and the wing is larger than the body that contains the embryo. The wing may be mostly membranous or mostly thickened by the abundance of isodiametric tracheoidal cells. The vascular bundle of the raphe passes longitudinally through the middle of the wing. Additionally, a bundle of elongate tracheoidal cells passes along one edge of the wing or close by it. The wing has zones thickened by an abW1dance of thick-walled isodiametric tracheoidal cells. The embryo is large with a short axis. The cotiledons are connate and mayor may not maintain the epidermis of the adaxial surface, but cuticle was observed only on the abaxial surface. The seed coat is fomed by an exotesta with tannins, a mesotesta of elongate tracheoidal cells and a tanniniferous endotegmen. There are two thick cuticles, one on the exotesta and one on the nucellus. There are from one to four layers of endosperm.