Sclereids. may occur singly or in groups. They provide stiffness to the part in which they occur. The important types of sclereids are stone cells or brachysclereids, macrosclereids, osteosclereids, astrosclereids, filiform selereids and trichosclereids. Brachysclereids are unbranched, short and isodiametric with rarniform (branched) pits and are responsible for grittiness of guava) sapota, apple and pea. Macrosclereids are present in seed coat of pulses (legume). They are slightly elongated and columnar or rod shaped cells and form palisade like layer in seed coat.