A preliminary study of the seed anatomy of Zingiberaceae

Abstract Seeds in Zingiberaceae comprise an aril, seed coat, perisperm, endosperm, embryo, and micropylar and chalazal region. The seed coat is derived from the outer integument, and can be divided into exotesta, mesotesta and endotesta; the mesotesta is further subdivided into hypodermis, translucent cell layer and pigmented cell layer. The micropylar region includes a micropylar collar and operculum; in some taxa it also includes a caruncle-like structure or a stalk-like structure. A chalazal pigmented cell group (CPG), endotestal gap, diaphragm and the course of raphe bundle in the chalazal region may be of systematic significance in some species. There are two types of endotesta in the family: parenchymatous (in tribes Hedychieae, Zingibereae and Globbeae) and sclerenchymatous (in Alpineae). The exception is Pommereschea lackneri , which is placed in Alpineae but has the parenchymatous type of endotesta. For this and other reasons this taxon should be transferred to another tribe. On the basis of seed characters, Hedychieae, Zingibereae and Globbeae are apparently closely related, although Hedychieae and Zingibereae differ from Globbeae which has a multiple-layered exotestal epidermis. Seeds of most Zingibereae have a peculiar caruncle-like structure at the base of the seed which forms the expanding part beyond the micropylar collar. Zingiberaceae and Costaceae are connected through tribe Alpineae with a sclerenchymatous type of endotesta.