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Hello,
can someone help us identify this seed, please?
We find it in Trigonella foenum-graecum, cultivated in France, and we think about a specie of the Ranunculaceae family, but we are not sure at all.
We don’t have any similar seeds in our collection.Thank you.
Silvia
Hello Silvia,
It is hard to see the surface texture, could you make the images a bit bigger and upload them again please? If not, could you describe the seed a bit more?
– the surface texture
– the colour
– visible hilum?
– is the straight edge flat or sharp? (the seed resting on the curved edge with the straight edge facing up/ the viewer), if so, is there a long groove down the length of it?Thank you, Jennifer
Hello Jennifer,
here some informations that I hope could help you :
Colour: black but lighter than Allium cepa for exemple, dull
Surface texture : scurfy (bur not removable)
No hilum
straight edge sharp without groove down the lenght , it seems like if there was a scar as attachement point with another seed (like Allium cepa but I don’t thik it might be the same family…)
I taked two photos en addiction.Thank you,
SilviaHello,
I was not able to find a match for your seed, but I have a few suggestions of wedge-shaped seeds that may help with further investigation:
Actaea rubra, Ranunculaceae
Peganum harmala, Nitrariaceae
Arctostaphylos species, Ericaceae
Eucalyptus species, MyrtaceaeThere are also some species in the Lily or Asparagus families that have similar seeds, but none that matched well.
I hope this helps, Jennifer
Hello Jennifer,
Indeed, Actaea rubra seems the nearest to our seed.
Also Arctostaphylos was interesting, we have Arctostaphylos uva-ursi in the Alpine region, but I don’t think it might be the right match.Thanks a lot for your help.
Best regards,
SilviaHello Jennifer,
I observed a Ruta graveolens seed and I wondered if it can be the one that I posted…What do you think about?
Best regards,
Silvia
Hello Silvia!
That is a good thought,Ruta graveolens seed looks C-shaped with deep wrinkles and concave sides to me. The seed in the images looks D-shaped with the sides flat and finely wrinkled.
There is Ruta chalepensis that has a mix of C- and D-shaped seed that look similar to the posted images. It appears to grow in southern France and throughout Spain. The seeds are generally 2-3 mm long.
The embryo placement could also be checked if the seed can be cut open length wise. Ruta seed embryos are large and curved near the back of the seed. Ranunculaceae seed should have a very small embryo at one end.
I hope this helps, Jennifer
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