Seed
A young plant in a resting state, packed with a food store inside a protective coat.
A seed forms from a fertilised ovule. It contains an embryo, a food supply and a coat. Seeds let plants travel and wait: some stay alive in soil for years until rain, warmth or fire starts them growing. Desert wildflower seeds do this, which is how a dry valley can flower all at once after a wet winter. Gardeners sow seed for annuals such as marigolds, zinnias, cosmos and sunflowers. Seed from hybrids often does not come true to the parent.