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"Dragon tongue" mustard with four cotyledons (seed leaves)
Germinated outdoors so pardon the slug damage
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this post was submitted on 05 Apr 2024
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It's a mutant. Likely caused by a spontaneous twining of the cotyledon immediatly after fertilization of the embryo. I've seen it a number of times. As the cotyledon is genetically separate from the embryo it is not passed on to the next generation.
In angiosperms, double fertilization occurs. The pollen grain contains two sperm cells. In the female part of the flower, one gamete forms into an egg and two gametes fuse together to form a megagametophyte.
Both the egg and the megagametophyte are fertilized by the pollen grain. The fertilized egg forms the embryo. The fertilized megagametophyte forms the endosperm . It is the fusion of 3 seperate gametes (triploid).
The endosperm (nutrient storage structure) becomes the cotyledon.
Thank you. I used to know these things, but its been so long.