seed coat

American  

noun

Botany.

1. the outer integument of a seed.

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seed coat British  

noun

1. the nontechnical name for testa

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seed coat Scientific  

1. The outer protective covering of a seed. The seed coat develops from the integument of the ovule.

2. Also called testa

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Etymology

Origin of seed coat

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

Their existence suggests not only where the second seed coat came from, but also how carpels came to be, as some of these cupules appear to have modified leaves that could have evolved into carpels.

From Science Magazine • May 26, 2021

Scale bar, 1 mm. b, Representative scanning electron microscopy image showing measurements of inner and outer seed coat layers.

From Nature • Feb. 7, 2017

Black quinoa seeds, the smallest of the three, have the thickest seed coat.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 12, 2014

Instead, they soft part is a fleshy seed coat — one of the three basic parts of a seed.

From Scientific American • Oct. 17, 2013

The same, cut through lengthwise: a, the hilum; c, chalaza; d, outer seed coat; e, inner seed-coat; f, the albumen; g, the minute embryo.

From The Elements of Botany For Beginners and For Schools by Gray, Asa