The Morphology and Anatomy of Ovule and Fruit Development in Arachis hypogaea L

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Abstract
The vascular system of the monocarpellary gynoecium with ten well differentiated traces and a few cross links probably represents a precocious development of the post-fertilization vasculature of the fruit wall. The restriction of the two integuments of the ovule to the micropylar half, and the endothecial nature of the chalazal cells adjoining the embryo sac appear to indicate a pathway of derivation of the unitegmic tenumucellate ovule from the bitegmic crassinucellate one. During double fertilization, a dark staining refractive body appears in the nucleolus of the egg as well as the fusion product of the polar nuclei. The peg that carries the ovary into the soil after fertilization grows by the activity of a rib meristem at the basal solid part of the gynoecium. During sub-soil fruit development, the ovary wall develops a prominent spongy inner zone which finally disappears, and a peripheral zone that forms the mature fruit wall. The abinitio nuclear endosperm is much reduced and degenerates after producing a few cell layers in the chalazal half alone. Seed development is pachychalazal. The main vascular supply of the seed branches at the chalaza into eight to ten strands in the seed coat. All seeds that have a vascular ramification in the seed coat are probably pachychalazal. In the variety Valencia, diminutive fruits with viable seed may develop aerially from pegs that fail to grow long enough to reach the soil from the higher nodes.

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