Appendage/Structure Description
1. Fleshy cover Fleshy structure (e.g., pulp), or cup-like structure (e.g., aril) that totally or partly covers the seeds.
2. Fleshy appendage Fleshy appendage or structure (e.g., elaiosome) attached to seed. It can vary in form, size, and position between species.
3. Dry covering structure Dry covering structures that partially or completely cover the germination unit. Presence was only recorded for species/genera in which diaspores can be found both with and without these structures (e.g., glumes of Poaceae, utricle of Carex, bracteoles of Atriplex).
4. flat appendage Membranous / delicate structures that stick out of the more compact part of the germination unit with a flat, thin form.
5. hairy appendage A tuft, hairlike branches, or ring of hairs (and less often scales) which are attached to the germination unit and can be removed from it.
Elongated appendages Structures that prominently stick out of the main part of the diaspore, having a length considerably greater than width, and height. These were classified into short or long and according to specialisations. (This category excludes hairs and hooks, which have their own categories).
6.1 Elongated short Elongated appendage is at least one tenth of the length and shorter than half of the diaspore’s length. Therefore, surface structures such as papillae, glands, tubercles, beaks, and short projections are not considered to be elongated appendages.
6.2 Elongated long Elongated appendage is at least half of the length of the diaspore.
6.3 Elongated spiral coiled Spiral coiled elongated appendage.
6.4 Elongated bent Elongated appendage is bent or distinctively crooked.
6.5 Elongated hairy Elongated appendage has fine, flexible, linear outgrowths. Different from hairy appendage as the hairs, as these are covering the surface of the appendage and cannot be easily detached from it.
6.6 Elongated bristles Elongated appendage has linear outgrowths that are semiflexible, thicker and generally shorter than hairs.
6.7 Elongated multiple Two or more elongated appendages are present.
7.1 single hook One elongated appendage with very recurved beak in a hook-like shape.
7.2 multiple hooks Bristles or spines with curved or backwards pointing tips, or with secondary bristles along their length.
8.1 surface hairs Fine, flexible, linear outgrowths on the surface.
8.2 surface bristles Linear outgrowths on the surface that are semiflexible, thicker and generally shorter than hairs.