Geometric Models for Seed Shape Description and Quantification in the Cactaceae

Abstract

Seed shape in species of the Cactaceae is described by comparison with geometric models. Three new groups of models are presented, two for symmetric seeds, and a third group for asymmetric seeds. The first two groups correspond, respectively, to superellipses and the combined equations of two semi-ellipses. The third group contains models derived from the representation of polar equations of Archimedean spirals that define the shape of asymmetric seeds in genera of different subfamilies. Some of the new models are geometric curves, while others are composed with a part resulting from the average silhouettes of seeds. The application of models to seed shape quantification permits the analysis of variation in seed populations, as well as the comparison of shape between species. The embryos of the Cactaceae are of the peripheral type, strongly curved and in contact with the inner surface of the seed coat. A relationship is found between seed elongation and the models, in which the genera with elongated seeds are represented by models with longer trajectories of the spiral. The analysis of seed shape opens new opportunities for taxonomy and allows quantification of seed shape in species of the Cactaceae.