Montia linearis

First overview block: Montia linearis or narrow-leaved montia is a flowering plant in the Portulacaceae family. It is sometimes called miner's lettuce, which is a name often applied to many montia genus plants because of their edibility.

Taxonomy

• Plantae – Plants
• Subkingdom - Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
• Superdivision - Spermatophyta – Seed plants
• Division - Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
• Class - Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
• Subclass - Caryophyllidae
• Order - Caryophyllales
• Family - Portulacaceae
• Genus - Montia
• Species - M. linearis

References

Seed

Montia linearis: MOLI

Seed sample from: 2011

Average Measurement: 2.2 x 2.2 x 1

Measurement Range: L: 2 - 2.5, W: 2 - 2.5, D: 0.9 - 1.1

Features

Shape: Seed lenticular in shape.

Color: Hilum scar is white, surrounded by a ring of brown. Seed is dark red to black.

Surface: Seeds are papillose with some small ridges around the surface edges.

Could be confused with: Caladrinia ciliata

Latitudinal Cross Section: : rhombic

Longitudinal Cross Section: elliptical

Montia linearis

Montia linearis

Basic Explanations and Assumptions:

The dimensions for the seeds are length x width x depth. The location of the hilum is used as the base of the seed, and the length is measured from hilum to the opposite apex. Where a style is present, the length is measured from the hilum to the bottom of the style. Width is measured at a right angle to the length at the widest part. Depth is measured at a right angle to the intersection of height and width lines.

Measurements included are the mean average for each measurement of ten separate seeds.

All measurements in millimeters unless otherwise noted.