Cotyledons

Cotyledons

Cotyledons are the first small leaves that appear when a cannabis or hemp seed germinates. They are also called seed leaves, because they are already formed inside the seed before it sprouts.

More about Cotyledons

Cannabis is a dicot, which means the seed contains two cotyledons. They emerge as a pair of small, smooth and rounded leaves, very different from the serrated leaves most people associate with the plant. In the first days, they supply the seedling with nutrients stored in the seed, and once they open to the light they also begin photosynthesis.

After the cotyledons, the plant develops its first true leaves. These start out with a single serrated blade, and each new set gradually gets more leaflets until the classic fan leaves with five, seven or more fingers appear. As the plant enters the growth phase, the cotyledons have done their job and typically turn yellow and fall off on their own.

Where the word comes from

Cotyledon is a general botanical term used about all seed plants. It comes from the Greek kotylēdōn, meaning a cup-shaped hollow. The number of cotyledons is also used to divide flowering plants into two major groups: monocots with one seed leaf, such as grasses, and dicots with two, such as cannabis.