Abstract
Carrot seedling emgryos showing variations in cotyledon number were selected and anatomical comparisons of the embryo vascular systems were performed between the variants and normal two cotyledonary (5) embryos from 800 seedings germinated . Externally, all of the four and six cotyledonary embryos had two cotyledonary petioles. Each of the cotyledonary petioles divided into two or three on the upper part fo the petiole which result in four and six cotyledons, respectively. However, the embryos had three different cotyledonary petioles in the three cotyledonary embryos. On the basis of the pattern of vascular system, the four and six cotyledonary embryos had the same basic vascular system as fnormal two cotyledonary embryos, Therefore the cotyledon number abnormality could result from the branching split of the abnormally thickened upper part of the cotyledonary petiole. However, the three cotyledonaryembryos had a different vascular system from the normla two cotyledonary embryos. They could be regarded as different varieties form the two cotyledon embryos. All embryos observed had short cylindrical plumule sheath which formed by the fusion of the cotyledon bases. The presence of plumule sheath strontgly implied that the initiation of the cotyledons was not from the two localized primordia but from the circular proimordiu formed at the blobular stageof embryo, and it is not consistent with current views of cotyledon initiation. On the formation of the primary vascular system of carrot seedlings, it is suggested that the primary vascular system of the plumule was formed independently from that of the root-hypocotyle-cotyledon system.