The Effect of Coumarin on Uptake of Water by Seeds

There is a marked effect of coumarm on the water uptake of wheat seeds: uptake by the embryo is inhibited, but uptake by the endosperm is unaffected. Even in the early ‘swelling’ stage, water uptake by embryo and endosperrn thus appears to involve two distinct mechanisms. It is suggested that the inhibitory effect of coumarin on germination is primarily due to its effect on water uptake by the embryo.