Embryo Sac and Embryo of Moringa oleifera, Lamk

Abstract

THIS plant was first investigated in 1923 by F. L. Rutgers¹, who makes some astonishing statements regarding the development of the embryo sac and embryo. He states that the archesporial cell is deep-seated in the nucellus, and functions directly as the megaspore mother cell without cutting off any parietal tissue. This on reduction gives rise to a T-shaped tetrad of megaspores of which the lower produces a 5-nucleate embryo sac. He further remarks that the fertilised egg undergoes several free nuclear divisions and wall-formation starts only after sixteen nuclei have been formed.