Cytology of mucilage production in the seed coat of Candle canola (<i>Brassica campestris</i>)

Abstract

The development of mucilage in the epidermal cells of canola seeds (Brassica campestris L. cv. Candle) was studied with light and electron microscopy from 5 days after pollination to maturity. During the first 17 days starch was deposited in amyloplasts. At or near the 17th day mucilage appeared between the plasmalemma and the outer tangential wall of the epidermal cells. As the volume of mucilage increased, starch grains disappeared and were totally absent by 25 days. Membrane-bound structures and Golgi bodies were visible within the cytoplasm adjacent to the site of mucilage deposition. At maturity the seed epidermal cells were totally devoid of cytoplasm and engorged with mucilage.