Seed Production of Vegetable, Tuber and Spice Crops (2+1)

Botany

• Flowering does not occur in all the varieties.
  
• Flowers are born on terminal panicle.
  
• It is monoecious plant male flowers at tip of the inflorescence and female at bottom male flowers have stamens in two whorls of each five stamens.
  
• Anthers are small, one ovary is located on 10 lobed granular disc. It has three locules, each locule having single ovate.
  
• Stigma has three lobes united to form a single style.
  
• Female flowers opened first (Protogynous) followed by male flowers.
  
• Pollinating agent are insects. Maturation period is 3-5 months.
  
• Matured fruits are capsule, globular and it has three locules each containing single seed.
• Seed is oval in shape or ellipsoidal 1 to 1.5 cm length.
  
• Seeds are brittle with gray coloured marks. It has carancle tissue over microployar region that helps water absorption.