201.51—Inert matter.
Inert matter shall include seeds and seed-like structures from both crop and weed plants and other material not seeds as follows:
(1)
Seeds of legumes (Leguminosae) and crucifers (Cruciferae) with the seed coats entirely removed. Refer to § 210.48(a) for pure seed classification.
(2)
Pieces of broken and damaged seed units, including those that are insect damaged, which are one-half the original size or less. If greater than one-half, refer to § 201.48(b) and (c) for pure seed classification. Also included as inert matter are separated cotyledons of legumes, irrespective of whether or not the radicle-plumule axis and/or more than one-half of the seed coat may be attached.
(3)
Chalcid-damaged seeds (puffy, soft, or dry and crumbly) of alfalfa, red clover, crimson clover, and similar kinds of small seeded legumes. Refer to § 201.48(c) for pure seed classification.
(4)
Glumes and empty florets except as stated under pure seed. Refer to § 201.48 (g) and (h) for pure seed classification.
(5)
Seed units with nematode galls or fungal bodies (smut, ergot, and other sclerotia) that are not entirely enclosed within the seed unit. Refer to § 201.48(h) for pure seed classification.
(6)
Broken seed units of Chenopodiaceae and fruit portions or fragments of monogerm beets, New Zealand spinach, buffalograss, and families in which the seed unit is a dry indehiscent one-seeded fruit that visibly do not contain a seed. Refer to § 201.48 (f), (g)(1), (i), and (j) for pure seed classification.
(7)
Seed units of forage kochia that pass through a 1 mm opening, square-hole sieve, when shaken for 30 seconds.
(b)
Seeds and seed-like structures from weed plants, which by visual examination (including the use of light or dissection), can be determined to be within the following categories:
(ii)
Damaged grass caryopses, including free caryopses, with over one-half the root-shoot axis missing (the scutellum excluded);
(iv)
Immature florets of quackgrass (Agropyron repens) in which the caryopses are less than one-third the length of the palea. The caryopsis is measured from the base of the rachilla;
(4)
Immature seed units, devoid of both embryo and endosperm, such as occur in but not limited to the following plant families: Sedge (Cyperaceae), buckwheat (Polygonaceae), morning glory (Convolvulaceae), nightshade (Solanaceae), puncturevine (Zygophyllaceae) and sunflower (Compositae). Cocklebur (Xanthium spp.) burs are to be dissected to determine whether or not seeds are present.
1/13th-inch, round-hole sieve.
(ii)
Bulblets which show evident damage to the basal end, whether husk is present or absent. Refer to § 201.50(c) for wild onion and wild garlic (Allium spp.) bulblets classed as weed seeds.
(6)
Dodder (Cuscuta spp.): Seeds devoid of embryos and seeds which are ashy gray to creamy white in color are inert matter. Seeds should be sectioned when necessary to determine if an embryo is present as when seeds have a normal color but are slightly swollen, dimpled or have minute holes.
(7)
Buckhorn (Plantago lanceolata): Black seeds, with no brown color evident, whether shriveled or plump; the color of questionable seeds shall be determined by use of a stereoscopic microscope with magnification of approximately 10× and a fluorescent lamp with two 15-watt daylight-type tubes.
(2)
Soil particles, sand, stone, chaff, stems, leaves, flowers, loose coating material, and any other foreign material.