‘Seed heteromorphism’ is a broadly- and loosely-defined term used to describe differences in size/mass, morphology, position on mother plants and ecological function (e.g. dispersal, dormancy/germination) of two or more seeds or other diaspores produced by an individual plant. The primary aim of this review paper was to characterize via an in-depth classification scheme the physical structural design (‘architecture’) of diaspore monomorphism and diaspore heteromorphism in angiosperms. The diaspore classification schemes of Mandák and Barker were expanded/modified, and in doing so some of the terminology that Zohary, Ellner and Shmida, and van der Pijl used for describing diaspore dispersal were incorporated into our system. Based on their (relative) size, morphology and position on the mother plant, diaspores of angiosperms were divided into two divisions and each of these into several successively lower hierarchical layers. Thus, our classification scheme, an earlier version of which was published in the second edition of ‘Seeds’ by Baskin and Baskin, includes not only heteromorphic but also monomorphic diaspores, the Division to which the diaspores of the vast majority of angiosperms belong. The scheme will be useful in describing the ecology, biogeography and evolution of seed heteromorphism in flowering plants.

“种子异形性”是一个广义且松散定义的术语，用于描述两个或多个种子或其他水硬铝石产生的尺寸/质量、形态、在母体植物上的位置和生态功能（例如传播、休眠/发芽）方面的差异。株。这篇综述论文的主要目的是通过深入的分类方案来表征被子植物中水硬铝石单态性和水硬铝石异态性的物理结构设计（“体系结构”）。 Mandák 和 Barker 的水硬铝石分类方案得到了扩展/修改，在此过程中，Zohary、Ellner 和 Shmida 以及 van der Pijl 用于描述水硬铝石扩散的一些术语被纳入我们的系统中。根据其（相对）大小、形态和在母体植物上的位置，被子植物的水硬铝石分为两个部分，每个部分又分为几个相继较低的层次层。因此，我们的分类方案（其早期版本发表在巴斯金和巴斯金的《种子》第二版中）不仅包括异形水硬铝石，还包括单形水硬铝石，绝大多数被子植物的水硬铝石都属于该分类。该方案将有助于描述开花植物种子异形性的生态学、生物地理学和进化。