Macrophotograph of the early stages in the germination of a maize seed, Zea mays. Known popularly as corn, it is a monocotyledonous plant, possessing only one seed leaf. The radicle, later to become the root, breaks through the testa (seed coat) & grows downward into the soil as the first event of germination. The shoot, at this early stage, appears as a knob emerging upward. This extends, with the embryonic leaves bent under for protection, as the shoot rises through the soil. Magnification: X1.5 (at 35mm size).