Cryptocotyly in Australian Dicotyledones

Seedlings exhibit a great diversity in morphology as is well documented (Lubbock, 1892; De Vogel, 1980). As part of an ongoing study on the taxonomic importance of seedling characters and their possible phylogenetic significance the seedlings of about 320 endemic Australian genera of Dicotyledons have been raised. Here some comments on the taxonomic distribution of cryptocotyly and its correlation with other characters is considered in terms of this sample of genera. The term cryptocotyly is applied to those situations in which the cotyledons remain entirely within the testa whether or not the seed is carried above ground during germination as well as those situations in which the testa ruptures and the cotyledons develop chlorophyll but remain at or below soil level but are still ensheathed in part by the testa (see fig. 1).