Abstract: The anatomy and germination pattern of mature seeds of rice line 4001 was studied. The results showed that the kernel of rice line 4001 had only one embryo but produced multiple buds after germination, indicating that 4001 was a novel mutant with multiple buds originated from the same embryo. 58.9% of embryos had coleoptiles and consequently germinated multiple buds. Multi-coleoptile embryo lacked scales and ectodermals were short or absent, resulting coleoptiles half-naked. Coleoptiles morphology diverse and mainly was consisted of palmate- and rolling tongue- shape ones. Of multiple buds of 4001, 79.1% were multi-bud and-coleoptile morphology (mainly bud and-coleoptile one), the other were multi-bud of a coleoptile. A small number of multiple buds from a coleoptile was also observed to be enclosed by the first leaf and second leafc commonly. Multi-buds were similar in size and growth speed. Multiple buds from a coleoptile were linked by vascular, while those from different coleoptiles were not. Thus, multiple buds of 4001 seed were neither primary and secondary buds, nor the so-called primary shoot and tiller buds. Multiple buds of 4001 were controlled by complex genetic mechanism and might be due to gene mutations caused by transposition.