Maghéj

Maghéj is the outer protective layer surrounding a seed in many plant species. In Hungarian usage, the term typically refers to what in biology is called the seed coat (testa), and more informally to the husk or hull that encases the grain or seed.

Structure and development: The maghéj develops from the outer integuments of the ovule and often forms a multi-layered covering. In some plants the coat is tightly adherent to the seed, while in others parts of the surrounding fruit wall contribute to the apparent husk. The coat can be hard and lignified or thinner and more permeable, influencing water uptake and gas exchange during germination.

Function: The primary role of the maghéj is protection. It guards the embryo against mechanical damage, dehydration, and microbial attack, and it can regulate dormancy and germination timing. The coat’s properties affect how easily the seed imbibes water and how readily it sprouts when conditions are favorable.

Agriculture and food processing: In cereals and other grains, the hull or husk may remain attached to the edible kernel after harvest; milling and hulling remove portions of the maghéj to varying extents, producing products such as brown rice (retains part of the coat) and white rice (husk and much of the bran removed). The maghéj also contributes to byproducts like bran, chaff, or fiber used in animal feed and soil amendment.

Terminology and related concepts: The term is related to botanical concepts such as testa (seed coat) and tegmen, and to the broader concept of the pericarp when the seed is still inside a fruit.