Purdue University Department of Agronomy

Corny News Network

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Originally published May 2000, updated Apr 2010
URL: http://www.kingcorn.org/news/timeless/ColeoptileGallery.html

Coleoptile Appearance During Emergence

R.L. (Bob) Nielsen
Agronomy Dept., Purdue Univ.
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054
Email address: rnielsen at purdue.edu
 

The coleoptile is a rigid piece of plant tissue that encloses the first few leaves (or plumule) of the corn seedling as the mesocotyl elongates and "pushes" the coleoptile to the soil surface during the emergence process.

Click on image to open a larger version.

Closeup of corn coleoptile.Coleoptile
Coleoptile beginning to split.Coleoptile

 

Inner leaves 'teased' out of coleoptile.Coleoptile

Image #3.
Inner leaves 'teased' out of coleoptile.

Image #4.
View of kernel, mesocotyl, coleoptile and leaf emergence just below the soil surface.

Image #5.
Emergence of inner leaves through split tip of coleoptile.

Image #6.
Coleoptile tissue removed to reveal inner leaves of the plumule.

Image #7.
Successful emergence!
 

Related References

Nielsen, RL (Bob). 2009a. Corkscrewed Corn Seedlings. Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. [On-Line]. Available at http://www.kingcorn.org/news/articles/timeless/Cornscrews.html. (URL accessed 4/28/09).

Nielsen, RL (Bob). 2009b. Germination Events in Corn. Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. [On-Line]. Available at  http://www.kingcorn.org/news/timeless/GerminationEvents.html.  (URL accessed 4/28/09).

Nielsen, RL (Bob). 2009c. Requirements for Uniform Germination and Emergence of Corn. Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. [On-Line]. Available at http://www.kingcorn.org/news/timeless/GermEmergReq.html. (URL accessed 4/28/09).

Nielsen, RL (Bob). 2009d. The Emergence Process in Corn. Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. [On-Line]. Available at  http://www.kingcorn.org/news/timeless/Emergence.html. (URL accessed 4/28/09).

Ritchie, S.W., J.J. Hanway, and G.O. Benson. 1993. How a Corn Plant Develops (SP-48). Iowa State Univ. [On-Line]. Available at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/hancock/info/corn.htm. (URL accessed 4/28/09).