Which structure forms the sheath enclosing the radicle in a germinating monocot seed?

• A. Coleoptile
• B. Pulvinus
• C. Coleorhiza
• D. Scutellum

Answer: (C)

In monocot seed germination, the embryo is protected by specialized sheaths around different parts. The radicle, which becomes the root, is enclosed by a sheath called the coleorhiza, shielding the growing root tip as it emerges from the seed. The shoot has its own protective sleeve, the coleoptile, that covers the plumule (the developing shoot). The scutellum is the monocot’s cotyledon-like structure that helps transfer nutrients from the endosperm to the growing embryo. The pulvinus is a leaf-base structure and not involved in protecting germinating parts. So the sheath that encloses the radicle is the coleorhiza.