4. Fructans are found in stem tissues and storage organs of plants from a wide range of different families but their presence in seeds has been reported only from the Gramineae (MacLeod and McCorquodale, 1958). The enzyme SST and the oligosaccharides 1-kestose (G-F-F) and nystose (G-F-F-F) have been found in the seeds of Allium cepa (Shiomi et al., 1985). Studies on the fructan content of developing kernels (grains) of wheat (Schnyder et al., 1988, 1993) showed that fructans comprised 27 % of kernel dry matter at anthesis and that the most active net synthesis of fructans occurred during the first week following anthesis.