What are the ways in which plant seeds are spread?

Methods of dispersal of plant seeds

There are two methods of dispersal of plant seeds: one is with the help of external forces, such as wind, water, animals and humans; the other is Rely on your own power.

Autotransmission

The so-called autotransmission means that it spreads by the plant itself and does not rely on other communication media.

For example, the melon, a plant belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family, usually bears a small "melon" with burrs. When the melon matures, it will fall off at the slightest touch, and the seeds in the melon together with the mucus will be ejected from the top, with a range of up to five meters.

Wind dispersal

Plants that rely on wind to disseminate seeds: dandelion, wild chrysanthemum, dandelion, bitter wheat, reed, yellow quail, willow, kapok, etc. The seeds of these plants are relatively light, and each seed has fluffy fibers or thin wings. When the wind blows, it flutters and begins its journey. When it encounters suitable soil and climate, it will take root. sprout and grow into new plants.

Animal transmission

Let’s talk about plants that rely on the fur of animals to spread seeds: cocklebur, peach blossom, ghost grass, inverted grass, etc. The seeds of these plants have barbs on the outside, which stick to people's clothes or animal fur and are carried to distant places to complete the spread of the seeds.

There are also some plants that rely on animals to spread their seeds: twister, nightshade, guava, watermelon, etc. Their characteristics are sweet and delicious, attracting animals to eat, and the seeds are spread through the excretion of animals.

Most of the seeds dispersed by birds are fleshy fruits, such as berries, drupes and cryptocarps. Birds peck at the seeds of Lauraceae plants and spit out the seeds. After the fruit is eaten, the seeds pass through the digestive tract and are excreted at will.

Ants usually play the role of secondary dispersers in seed dispersal. Some birds eat and spread seeds, but not all the nutrients are consumed. The seeds that fall on the ground still have some remaining nutrients on the surface for ants to eat. At this time, ants become second-hand spreaders.

Most of the spread of mammals are medium and large fleshy fruits or dried fruits. Generally speaking, mammals are relatively large and have large food needs, so they will choose some large fruits. For example, macaques like to eat the fruits of persimmons and plantains, and they also help these plants spread. Pine nuts are carried and spread by squirrels when they store food for the winter.

Ejection propagation

There are also seeds of some plants that rely on their own explosive power to spread their seeds, such as soy sauce, impatiens, sesame, and red beans and mung beans. Wait for most legumes. These seeds generally have a shell. When the seeds mature, the fibers of the shell will dehydrate and tighten. If there is any disturbance, the shell will burst and the seeds will be ejected.

Hydropropagation

Finally, let’s talk about plants that rely on the flow of water to spread their seeds: coconuts, lotus seeds, gorgon seeds, etc. These plants usually grow near water, and their seeds have hard shells. When mature, they fall into the water and drift with the waves. They are washed to the shore and take root.