Embryo of Zea mays in a paraffine longitudinal section stained with toluidine blue
In monocotyledons such as corn,
embryo has only one cotyledon called scutellum in graminae.
it is thin with a large contact surface with the endosperm, storage tissue from
which it will absorb nutriments
at germination. The embryo is surrounded by two sheats.The
epicotyl bearing shoot apex and leaf primordia is called coleoptile. The root
cap and the root apex are enclosed in a sheath called coleorhiza. Upon
germination the coleoptile will
be the first ones to emerge onto the ground before the young seedling.