Abstract: We report an efficient method for observing oil bodies in rapeseed with the aid of Nile Red fluorescent dye and laser scanning confocal microscopy. Oil bodies in the cotyledon storage cells of mature seeds of six cultivars of Brassica napus L., Ningyou14, Ningyou18, ZH-088, ZL-366, NjY008 and Westar, were investigated. With seed maturation, staining showed oil bodies changing morphologically from slightly stained granules to substantially stained globoid bodies. In mature seeds, oil bodies were distributed at the central region of the cotyledon storage cells and largely showed an elliptical or irregular shape. The correlation of oil bodies and oil content in seeds was investigated. Seeds from the high oil-content group contained more oil bodies per cell and had larger volume than the low oil-content group. These results provide evidence that the quantity and total volume of oil bodies correlate well with the oil content of rapeseed.