Pumpkin seedling. Macrophotograph of a pumpkin seedling, Cucurbita pepo, soon after germination. The seedling has unfurled its first leaves. The leaves grow against gravity or towards light and provide food for the plant using sunlight. The seed remains dormant until the right conditions trigger germination. For a photo of the seedling at an earlier stage of development see images B787/299 or B787/300.