Cypella seed
Jane McGary (Sat, 06 Dec 2003 15:02:11 PST)

Jennifer asked,

"Chitting" is British English for what is called "scarifying" in American
usage. It means breaking the seed coat physically by nicking it with a
razor blade or rubbing it gently with sandpaper or a fine rasp so that
water can enter the seed and cause it to germinate. This is often
recommended for the large, hard seeds of certain legumes.

It was funny to see this, because I just opened a package from a publisher
with a cover letter that asked me to explain the Britspeak in the book,
including this term.

Jane McGary