The Anatomy of the Caryopsis Coat in Mature Caryopses of the Yellow Foxtail Grass (Setaria lutescens)

The caryopsis coat of the yellow foxtail grass consists of several crushed layers of parental origin. The anatomy of these crushed, necrotic cell layers (cuticle, pericarp, testa, and nucellus), their fine structure, and possible role in dormancy are discussed A newly defined portion of the coat, the placental pad, is shown to consist of layers from the caryopsis coat and remnants of the placental vascular bundle.