Effect of mercury on the seedling of Vigna mungo seedlings was studied by culturing the seedlings in Hoagland medium artificially contaminated with 5 and 10mM Mercuric Chloride. Histochemical localization of the mercury in shoot and root tissues was done by staining with dithizone and quantitative analyses of mercury content accumulated in root, stem and leaf tissues were done using mercury analyser. Localization of mercury was observed as coloured masses in the cells of root and stem. Stem tissues of seedlings showed anatomical modification in the epidermal cells as trichomes. Patterns of bioaccumulation of mercury was root> stem> leaves revealing feeble translocation to the shoot system. A comparison of residual mercury content retained in the growth medium after sample harvesting and quantity accumulated in the plant body reveals that some quantity of mercury is lost presumably through the trichomes developed on the stem and/ or through stomata of the leaves
