In epigeal germination, the cotyledons are

In epigeal germination, the cotyledons are carried above the ground by the elongating hypocotyl. Epigeal germination is a type of seed germination in which the cotyledons emerge above the soil surface, and the hypocotyl elongates to lift them up. The hypocotyl is the part of the stem that is located between the cotyledons and the radicle. As the hypocotyl elongates, it raises the cotyledons, which become the first leaves of the young seedling. This is in contrast to hypogeal germination, where the cotyledons remain below the soil surface and the epicotyl elongates to raise the plumule (shoot) above the ground.