Palm fruit section. Section through the fruit of Hyphaene sp. This species belongs to the Arecaceae family of plants,and includes coconuts,oil palms and date palms. The image shows the exocarp (exterior layer),mesocarp (thick,dark brown layer) and endocarp (light brown layer),which comprise the outer fruit layer. The inner layers,which form the seed,are comprised of the seed coat (thin,dark brown layer),solid endosperm (white) and embryo (not visible). The cavity at centre is normally filled with liquid endosperm. Photographed at the Millennium Seed Bank,Sussex,UK,the largest wild seed collection in the world |