Ultrastructure of the Developing Epicarp in Fruit of Nerium indicum Mill. (Apocynaceae)-I

A sequential sub-cellular study of the epicarp of Nerium indicum has been performed. Outer epidermis of the ovary wall is covered externally with a thin cuticle. Cytoplasm possesses most of the cell organelles in the ovary stage itself. Outermost zone of the pericarp is the epicarp, developing from the outer epidermis. In the developing fruit, cell organelles are found with its maximum intensity. In mature fruit, the epicarp becomes multilayered due to additional development of few collenchymatous cells close to the outermost layer. Epicarpic cell possesses large central vacuole, around which a thin layer of cytoplasm is present. Number of cell organelles are considerably reduced in the mature fruit. In the ovary stage starch grains are electron transparent, while in the mature fruit it is fruit it is electron transluscent.