From: Archimedes Plutonium

I think I can summarize my initial question better today. Often it takes
several days to make a question better.

Question: Why should any plant have its first two leaves very much different
from all other successive
leaves? That is the question that is bothering me. Why
should my baby pear tree have its first two leaves so starkly different from
its future leaves. Do these first leaves confer some superior advantage to
the plant
or are they different because of the ancient past of the species, the genetic
mess
of the species is brought forth in its first leaves.

The cotyledons of a seed are often adapted for storage purposes, and not as
efficient photosynthesis organs. There are some cases where the cotyledons are
good at photosynthesis, such as _Ipomoea_, and some other cases where the
cotyledons photosynthesize and the leaves do not (to any appreciable extent)
such as _Cuscuta_. In general, cotyledons confer some advantage to the plant
by supplying stored nutrients as well as often giving a little bit of
photosynthetic product as well.

Sean



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