The Rate of Morphogenesis of Embryos and Seeds in Four Species of Grain Legumes

Comparative embryo development has been studied histologically in Lupinus albus, Lupinus mutabilis, Vicia faba, Pisum sativum and Latkyrus latifolius. The detailed histology of the stages of embryo formation up to the early differentiation of tissues of the seed is reported. The rate of embryogenesis has been timed through 15 stages of development from anthesis and comparative rates of tissue formation established between the species. The main observation was the slow rate of morphogenesis of embryos and seeds in Lupinus albus in comparison with the very rapid rate observed in Pisum sativum. A long period at the globular embryo stage, when embryo morphogenesis was inactive contributed to the extended development time of embryos and seeds in Lupinus albus. Slow differentiation of reproductive tissues in L. albus determines late maturity in seeds and pods.