A sporophyte vegetative stage (PO:0007134) which begins with the onset of a seed imbibition stage (PO:0007022) and ends with a radicle emergence stage (PO: 0007015), or a coleorhiza emergence stage (PO:0025475), as a result of the growth by the plant embryo (PO:0004537) in a seed (PO:0009010). [source: GR:Anuradha_Pujar, ISBN:9780471245209, POC:Laurel_Cooper]