coleoptile

(noun)

a pointed sheath that protects the emerging shoot in monocotyledons such as oats and grasses

Related Terms

Examples of coleoptile in the following topics:

  • Development of the Seed

    • Next, the primary shoot emerges, protected by the coleoptile: the covering of the shoot tip.
    • Upon exposure to light, elongation of the coleoptile ceases and the leaves expand and unfold.
    • As this monocot grass seed germinates, the primary root, or radicle, emerges first, followed by the primary shoot, or coleoptile, and the adventitious roots.