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BOTAPRENEURS

Plant Mastery · Plant Patterns

Learning to read a seed

The essential vocabulary to observe, name and understand seeds — with real photos, in French, English and Spanish.

To become a Plant Master or Botanist-Entrepreneur, you must learn the language of seeds. The seed is the starting point of life for many plants: it carries an embryo, reserves and a protective coat, and organizes germination, dispersal and conservation. Recognizing its parts and strategies is an essential Plant Pattern.

A 3-level path

1 · Plant enthusiasts

Recognize the parts of a seed: seed coat, embryo, cotyledons, reserves.

2 · Plant Masters

Understand seed types, dormancy and germination.

3 · Botanists-Entrepreneurs

Collect, conserve and add value to seeds — for agriculture, restoration and food sovereignty.

6 easy features to start with

Pick a seed and observe these points. You'll already be able to describe it correctly.

The seed parts

1. The seed parts

The coat, the embryo and the reserves.

Seed coatEmbryoCotyledonRadicleEndospermHilum
Seed types

2. Seed types

By cotyledons and reserves.

Monocot seedDicot seedAlbuminousExalbuminousWinged seed
Germination

3. Germination

From dormant seed to seedling.

GerminationDormancyImbibitionScarificationSeedling
Dispersal

4. Dispersal

How the seed travels away from the plant.

AnemochoryZoochoryHydrochoryPappusWinged seedBurr
Collection and conservation

5. Collection and conservation

Seed bank and sovereignty.

Seed collectionMother plantProvenanceSeed bankSeed drying
Sowing and agriculture

6. Sowing and agriculture

From seed to cultivated seedling.

SowingNurserySeed selectionFarmer seedSeed sovereignty

Field tip: pick a plant in fruit or bearing seeds; carefully open a seed if possible; identify the seed coat, hilum, reserves, embryo and cotyledons; note the provenance, mother plant, dispersal type and storage conditions.

Priority vocabulary

The most useful words to describe a seed in the field, in three languages.

English
Français
Español
Seed
Graine / semence
Semilla
Seed coat
Tégument / testa
Cubierta seminal
Embryo
Embryon
Embrión
Cotyledon
Cotylédon
Cotiledón
Radicle
Radicule
Radícula
Plumule
Gemmule / plumule
Plúmula
Endosperm
Albumen / endosperme
Endospermo
Hilum
Hile
Hilo
Micropyle
Micropyle
Micrópilo
Germination
Germination
Germinación
Dormancy
Dormance
Dormancia
Imbibition
Imbibition
Imbibición
Scarification
Scarification
Escarificación
Stratification
Stratification
Estratificación
Seedling
Plantule
Plántula
Seed dispersal
Dispersion des graines
Dispersión de semillas
Anemochory
Anémochorie
Anemocoria
Zoochory
Zoochorie
Zoocoria
Hydrochory
Hydrochorie
Hidrocoria
Seed collection
Collecte de semences
Recolección de semillas
Seed bank
Banque de semences
Banco de semillas
Sowing
Semis
Siembra
Viable seed
Graine viable
Semilla viable
Orthodox seed
Graine orthodoxe
Semilla ortodoxa
Native seed
Semence native
Semilla nativa
Seed sovereignty
Souveraineté semencière
Soberanía semillera

The complete seed vocabulary

6 sections · definitions in French, English and Spanish.

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