April 16 - First Leaves vs True Leaves

I asked Mr Tan about the Maha Bodhi seed and told him that the leaves look different from a Jackfruit leave, and that the stem is twinning around my window grill. He says to continue to watch the leaves.

I found this on the internet:

"The primary leaves of an embryo that are present in the seed. These are the very first leaves that emerge and are not true leaves. The very first leaves can look very different from the true leaves."

Another web-site:

"The first set of leaves that appear when a seed germinates are called, strangely enough, 'seed leaves'. These serve to nourish the new sprout until it can photosynthesize its own food. A plant's seed leaves usually don't look much like the leaves that emerge later and are considered "true leaves." (Consider a bean plant: the first leaves resemble a bean seed split in half, while the true leaves are heart-shaped.) There is no need to remove the seed leaves. Once they've done their job, they'll shrivel up on their own."

Now I know why Mr Tan ask me to continue to observe. The True Leaves of the Maha Bodhi plant has grown bigger and I can see it clearly now. It is different in shape from the first leaves. It is oval, and smooth-edge and look like the leaves of a Jackfruit tree!

As to why my Maha Bodhi plant is twinning round my window grill, Mr Tan says that it is because I place it at the window grill and the steam naturally use it as a support. If I have planted it away from any support, the stem should grow up straight.

I have learnt 2 new things about plants. :-)