#seed

• Abutilon theophrasti — The standard scientific name for velvetleaf, an annual herbaceous plant in the Malvaceae family, native to Southern Asia and widely naturalized across Europe and the Americas. Agronomically, it is considered an extremely harmful and highly competitive weed for agricultural row crops, remarkable for its robust stem covered in velvety hairs, large heart-shaped leaves, and characteristic semicircular capsule fruits made of radially arranged chambers.
• Agamospermy — A form of apomixis in higher plants (spermatophytes) within which seeds form directly, without the fusion of male and female gametes. Structurally, the embryo originates from a diploid cell of the ovule (such as the nucellus or integument) or from an unfertilized egg cell, resulting in viable seeds that contain offspring genetically identical to the mother plant.
• Corncockle — The scientific name (in Latin) for a genus of annual herbaceous plants in the pink family (Caryophyllaceae), whose best-known species is the common corncockle (Agrostemma githago). These plants feature erect, hairy stalks and large, solitary, pinkish-purple flowers; they are historically known as noxious weeds within cereal crops, producing seeds that are toxic due to a high saponin content.
• Agoutis — A plural form or taxonomic variant adapted in old Romanian literature for agoutis (genus Dasyprocta), medium-sized rodent mammals native to the rainforests of Central and South America. These animals feature long limbs adapted for running, a robust body, and are recognized for their essential ecological role in dispersing the seeds of large tropical trees.
• Albuminous — Containing albumin, of the nature of albumin, or rich in soluble proteins; pertaining to tissues, biological fluids, or seeds of higher plants that incorporate a significant amount of nourishing protein endosperm.
• Sorted — Having been thoroughly sorted, chosen, or cleaned using a traditional household tool; material manually selected to eliminate impurities or degraded elements. In popular usage, it describes the state of a batch of seeds or grains perfectly calibrated and ready for sowing according to old agricultural customs.
• Aleurites — A genus of arborescent woody plants in the Euphorbiaceae family, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of East Asia and the Pacific Islands. It comprises medium to large monoecious tree species, economically and industrially renowned for producing large oil-bearing seeds from which valuable drying oils are extracted for use in varnishes, paints, and insulating materials.
• Aleuron — A reserve protein substance, with an amorphous or crystalloid granular structure, deposited in the cells of the outermost layer of the endosperm in plant seeds (particularly in grasses). It represents a biochemical complex rich in amino acids, phosphates, and enzymes, playing a vital structural role in nourishing and metabolically supporting the embryo during the early stages of germination.
• Aleuronic — Pertaining to aleurone, belonging to aleurone, or containing a large amount of reserve protein granules. In structural plant biology, the term describes tissues, cells, or seminal layers defined by intense enzymatic activity and the presence of nitrogenous crystalloid inclusions involved in plant germinative metabolism.
• Allochore — A term used to describe an organism, particularly a plant or vegetable species, dispersed into territories outside its native range through external, non-biological, or accidental dispersion means (such as human activity, wind, or water currents). In structural ecology, it defines allochthonous species introduced into a new habitat, where they may become naturalized or invasive.
• Allochory — The dispersal of seeds, spores, or fruits of a plant with the help of external structural agents, such as wind (anemochory), water (hydrochory), animals (zoochory), or human activity (anthropochory); this phenomenon opposes autochory and ensures the colonization of new geographic habitats.
• Allochory — A phenomenon or modality of seed, spore, or fruit dispersal through external factors or vectors that are independent of the plant's own biological mechanisms (such as wind, water, animals, or human activity). This structural mechanism ensures the colonization of new geographical habitats and prevents intraspecific competition near the parent plant.
• Allosperm — Relating to seeds or plants: a seed formed following cross-pollination (allogamy), bearing an embryo with combined genetic material from two distinct parents; as an adjective, it describes the seminal structure or tissue resulting from exogenous fertilization, characterized by heightened genetic variability and superior adaptability compared to self-fertilized seeds.
• Alsomitra — A genus of perennial climbing woody vines (lianas) in the Cucurbitaceae family, native to the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and Australia. This structural taxon stands out due to its large, globose, capsule-like fruits and, particularly, its unique winged seeds (such as those of Alsomitra macrocarpa), whose aerodynamic membranous wings mimic the gliding flight of a glider or airplane, historically inspiring early pioneers of modern aviation.
• Alsomitra sarcophylla — The scientific Latin designation for a distinct and rare perennial herbaceous liana species within the Alsomitra genus, Cucurbitaceae family, encountered in Asian tropical rainforests. This climbing plant stands out structurally due to its fleshy, succulent, or thickened leaves (sarcophylla), adapted for water retention during periods of reduced moisture, and its specific aerodynamic seed-producing capsules.
• Peanuts — Plural form for the compound noun 'alună-de-pământ' (or its non-hyphenated variant); designates peanuts (Arachis hypogaea), the underground fruits of a legume plant heavily used in the food industry due to their high content of oils, healthy fats, and proteins.
• Amphispermous — Having seeds surrounded by a double envelope or seminal structures with a bilateral arrangement; a morphological term describing plants or plant organs whose seeds feature a doubled outer protective coat or a symmetrical configuration on both sides of the placental axis. This structural type ensures increased resistance of the embryo in unstable climatic environments.
• Amphitropous — Describing plant ovules or embryos: strongly curved in the shape of a horseshoe, such that the embryo sac and nucellus are structurally bent on both edges, causing the hilum to be placed in a median position adjacent to the funiculus. This unique anatomical adaptation optimizes the vascularization of the developing seed.
• Anise — An annual herbaceous plant in the umbellifer family (Pimpinella anisum), with entire lower leaves and divided upper leaves, small white flowers, and small, ovoid diachene fruits rich in aromatic volatile oils; the aromatic fruits of this plant, widely used as a spice in gastronomy, as a flavoring agent in the alcoholic beverage industry (liqueurs, ouzo, raki), and as a carminative, expectorant, and digestive stimulant remedy in medicine and pharmacy.
• Fennel — A popular synonymous name for fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), a perennial or biennial herbaceous plant in the umbellifer family, with a tall, branched stem, finely divided filiform leaves, and yellow flowers arranged in large umbels. Its fruits resemble common anise structurally and aromatically but are larger and have a sweeter-aromatic, slightly minty taste, used in medicine as a digestive tonic, antiseptic, and galactagogue, and in gastronomy as a vegetable or spice.