Definition

1. Noun:
   • Embryonic leaf in seed-bearing plants: A "seed leaf" is the first leaf or one of the first pair of leaves to appear from a germinating seed. It is part of the embryo within the seed and often contains stored food for the young plant.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The bean seedling's first seed leaves are large and fleshy.
  • Botanists study how the seed leaf provides nutrients to the young plant.

Advanced Usage

• In botanical classification: The number of seed leaves (one or two) is a primary characteristic used to classify flowering plants into major groups: monocotyledons (one seed leaf) and dicotyledons (two seed leaves).
  • The presence of two seed leaves identifies the plant as a dicot.

Variants and Related Words

• Cotyledon (n): This is the precise scientific synonym for "seed leaf."
  • The cotyledon may photosynthesize or simply absorb stored food.

Synonyms

• Cotyledon: The direct scientific synonym for a seed leaf.

Noun

1. embryonic leaf in seed-bearing plants