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Hi,
These seeds were found in a sample of grass grown in the UK. Is anybody able to help identify them?
Hello!
I have a few questions about your seeds please:
– What is their approximate size?
– Are they hard or squishy under forcep pressure?
– Does it look like there is an endosperm and embryo in a cross section, or does the inside look homogenous?
– Can you see any features on the outside of the seed, such as a hilum or sculptured area?Thank you, Jennifer
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for the reply.
If you look at the bottom left corner of the photo there is a scale – they’re about 0.2-0.3mm across and just under 1mm long. Under forceps they are very squishy and difficult to cross-section but upon attempt it appears to be homogenous however it is hard to determine if this is because of the difficulties in cutting the seed. I’ve attached another photo to show this.
On the two seeds to the left of the original photo you can see a sculpted indent where the seeds are positioned at an angle.
Thanks very much,
Blythe
Hello Blythe,
Thank you for the detailed description. Given the lack of surface features, and soft, homogenous interior, I wonder if it might not be a seed, but something like an insect egg? (I’m not an insect identifier though :))
The only seeds I can think of that have a soft, squishy interior are grasses such as Agrostis or Alopecurus.
What do you think?
JenniferHi Jennifer,
We ended up deciding it was most likely to be an insect egg for the exact reasons you stated 🙂
Thank you for taking the time to help!
Best wishes,
Blythe
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