Rangeland seedings of spiny hopsage (Grayia spinosa [Hook] Meg.) may b
e made with either bracted utricles or seeds, Problems have resulted f
rom inconsistent use of terminology describing these 2 structures and
the fact their germination and seedling emergence is not the same with
similar environmental conditions and seeding techniques, We examined
the flower, fruit, and seed morphology of spiny hopsage microscopicall
y to resolve these discrepancies and provide a basis for discussing th
e functional roles of bracted utricle and seed components, The spiny h
opsage fruit is a utricle consisting of a single disk-shaped seed cont
ained within a thin pericarp, The utricle is enclosed in 2 papery brac
teoles. Failure to recognize the obscure pericarp plus inaccurate use
of terminology appear responsible for confusion in the literature, The
presence and condition of seed and fruit structures can affect seedin
g requirements and embryo response to environmental conditions, Conseq
uently, accurate identification of all structures associated with the
fruit or seed combined with a review of seed biology and seedling esta
blishment Literature is essential for designing effective wildland see
ding practices.