Question

Which of the following plant produces non-albuminous seeds ?

• A. Pea
• B. Wheat
• C. Maize
• D. Barley

Hint:

• As a general rule of thumb, most dicots produce non-albuminous seeds (exception: Castor is a dicot but produces albuminous seeds).

• Most monocots produce albuminous seeds (exception: Orchids are monocots but produce non-albuminous seeds).

• In some seeds, such as black pepper and beet, remnants of the nucellus also persist; this residual, persistent nucellus is called perisperm.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Concept:

• Seeds are classified into two main groups depending on the persistence of the endosperm in the mature seed: itemize

• Non-albuminous (Exalbuminous) seeds: These seeds do not retain endosperm at maturity because it is completely consumed by the developing embryo during embryogenesis (e.g., pea, groundnut, gram, beans).

• Albuminous (Endospermic) seeds: These seeds retain a portion of the endosperm as it is not entirely consumed during embryo development, serving as a food reserve for germination (e.g., wheat, maize, barley, castor, sunflower).
itemize

Step 1: Analyze the structural features of the given plant seeds
In angiosperms, double fertilization leads to the formation of a triploid endosperm, which provides nourishment to the developing embryo. The rate of endosperm consumption determines the final seed type.

Step 2: Evaluate each option based on endosperm retention

• Pea (Option A): A dicotyledonous plant where the developing embryo absorbs all the nutrients from the endosperm before the seed reaches maturity. The food is instead stored in the fleshy cotyledons, making the mature seed non-albuminous.

• Wheat, Maize, and Barley (Options B, C, and D): These are monocotyledonous cereal crops. In these plants, the endosperm persists in the mature seed as a major storage tissue, making them albuminous.

Step 3: Determine the correct choice
Since only the pea seed lacks residual endosperm at maturity, it represents the non-albuminous category among the given choices.