Nutritive Role of Seedcoats in Developing Legume Seeds

The seedcoats of legume seeds comprise a multifunctional organ with responsibilities for protection, attraction (some times), and provision of nutrients to the embryo during its development. The transmission of solutes from phloem through seedcoats, and the processing of imported metabolites by seed coat cells prior to secretion are two important aspects of the seedcoats' nutritive function considered in this review. Some of the many important questions that remain unanswered have been posed, and scope for further research indicated.