7

Dispersal of Seeds
:

Project: Study of dispersal of seeds by aarious agencies

tntroduction
The flowers of angiosperms form fruits from ovary and seeds from ovules after pollination and
fertilization. As seeds'contain the embryo, or the future plant, their dispersal is important for
maintaining the continuity of species through generations and for the establishment of plants a!
different lolations. h many pl-,jts, the fruits anJseeds have certain special features with the help of
which they are distributeioiver considerable distance from the parent plant. After gefting favourable
conditions, they germinate and give rise to new plants'
Wind, water, animals and explosive mechanisn are the main agencies tha! h91p in the dispersal of
develop wings.
seeds. Some seeds are light and &spersed by wind. The seeds which are slightly heavy
thus get
Some develop hooks, hiirs, spines, which enable them to stick to the fur of animals and are
the
carried fromtne place to *oih"r. The various agencies for seed dispersal and the characteristics of
seeds they disperse are as follows.
dispersal
Agencies for

Wiilil

Animals

Water

mechanism

1. Light and small seeds

2. Presence of wings
3. Presence of hairs
4. Presenceofballoonlike

1.

r. Ho<iked fruits and seeds

Light seeds
2. Sticky fruits and seeds
of
floating devices 3. Edible fruits
Protective 4. Athactive fruits and seeds
5. SpinY seeds
covering
impervious
to water

2. Presence
3.

appendages
5. Different mechanisms
like parachute mechanism,
censer medranism and rolling

Bursting of

fruit with force,

to release seeds

mechanism

The dispersal of seeds increases the chances of survival of the plant species in various
environmenis, as it prevents overcrowding and competition among the members of the same species
for

ligh!

ak,water, mineral salts, etc.

ExPeriment 7.1
Obiective
To study dispersal of seeds by various agencies

Apparatus and materials required

Oifierent types of seeds, fl"shy fruits, a pair of forceps, Petri dishes, a hand lens, glass slides, a knife,
and

water

r>27

Biology Lab Manual for Class 12

Procedure

1.

Collect various types of seeds from your neighbourhood and study them for fheir modes of
dispersal.

2.

Cttthe fleshy fruits and observe their

seeds. Study and

find out their mode of dispersal.

Observations
Record the following:

(i) the external aPPearance of the seed,

(ii) the size of the seed,
(iii) the weight of the seed,
(iv) the presence of outgrowths like spines, hooks, wings, hairs, etc',
(v) the type of fruit, if available,
(vi) the occurrence of the seed, in a pod (legume) or in a capsule,
(vii) identification of the seed, i-f possible,
(viii) other special features.
On the basis of above characters, identify the agency through which the dispersal of the seed takes
place.

pages some description about fhe agencies

features of the seeds they disperse are given for your convenience'

In the next few

of seed dispersal and the

specific

The wind is probably the most important agency of seed dispersal in

nature. Seeds have dispersal by wind following features.
L. Lightweight and minute seeds Some seeds are so light that they are blown by air like dust, e.g., seeds
Dispersal of seeds by

wind

of orchids, grasses, etc.

Z.Wings The seeds of some plants like Moringa, Cinchonat, Oroxylum, etc., have wings. Th9 ry:ngs Te
th'r, diy, light and membran6us, due to which these seeds are easily caflied away to long distances by
the wind.
j. Hairs The seeds ol Calotropis, Gossypium (cotton), etc., possess hairs which help them to float in air
and eventually carry them to long distances.

Batloonlike appendages In some plants, certain floral parts become inflated, which keep the fruits or
the seeds floating in th; air, e.g., Plrysalis, Colutea, etc. In Physalis, the persistent calyx is inflated like a
balloon.
S.pappusandparachutemechanisrr [r the members of Asteraceae (Compositae) like Taraxacum,
,"pui"' are modified into tufts of hair called pappu! *_hiol, persistent and Jound attadred to
siigle-seeded fruits. The pappus forms a miniature umbrellalike white outgrowth which acts like a
parachute that allows the wind to carry the seeds to great distances.
6. Censer mechanism hr some plants lke Argernone mexicana (prickly PoPpy), Aristolochia, Papaoer
(poppy), etc., fruits,rupture after maturity fui the seeds do not come out' When the fruit is shaken
by the wind, the seeds get scattered in all directions.
"iol^eniiy
7. persistent styles In plants like Clematis, Naraaelia, etc., .the,style of the flower persists with the fruit
and becomes hairy which hetp in their dispersal.
_:, ;:{ j
albumiett.,
Chenopodium
albus,
like
Amaranthus
herbs
wild
Some
weeds
B. Rolling mechanism or twmble
get detaihed from soil when dry, and roll over the ground due to the force of wind. \Atrhile doing so
they scatter seeds all along the way.
9. propeller outgrowths The fruit of Ailanthus possess propeller outgrowths due to which they are
propelled to a long distance.
4.

D-29

Dispersal of Seeds

HAIRY SEEDS

WINGED SEEOS

Colton

CENSER MECHANISM
Pores

BALLOONLIKE APPENDAGES

PAPPUS AND PARACHUTK

.MECHANISM

iTrf,.}
aftl
1f/

PaWwt

ROLLING MECHAN'SM

FERSISTEI,IT STYLE$

:**":'..'
",

tD:7,Soeds

g'

u
&s

@.
{'+.

Ari$/Iolmhia

Fig.7.1 Dfferent types of fruits and seeds showing adaptations for their dispersal by wind

Biology I"ab Manual for Class 12

fruits and seeds, mainly for

Dispersal of seeds by water Water is another agency for the dispersal of
uqriti. plants growing near the river banks or seashores'
some kind of floating devices such as
7. Eloating iteoices Thefruits and seeds of some plants develop
the sPongy structure inNelumbo
the fibrous growth on the outer coverin g of cocos"nucifta (coconut) or
iucyero(btfis). 11 ur" ,t*"tores protectihe fruit and help it to float on water'

is smooth, waxy and

2.Water-tesistantprotectioecoaering The outermost layer of some fluits
impervious to water, as in coconut. :
-.small and light, and contain
B.Lightseeits The seeds of sonneda"t" ltkeNymphaea (water lily) are
air-filled aril which keep them floating in water'

Fibrous ouler

CarPel

covedng

C*cas nuc$era
{Coeonut}

ireiufftbo rlrcif*ra {Lstus}

Eig.72 Fruits showing adaptations for their dispersaf by water

seeds by animals are

Dispersal of seeds by animals The various adaptations for dispersal of fruits and
as follows.
l. Stick7 frltits anil seeds Many plants produce sticky fruits_or seeds which adhere to the feet or beak
Cleame, etc'
of birds and are kansported from one place to another, e.g., Boerhaaoia,
hooked bristles, stiff hairs, thoms, etc',
2. Haokeit fruits anil seeds Many fruits and seeds have spines,
e'g',Xmtthium'
to attaclr themselves to the skin, fur, or wooli of the roaming animals or human beings,
Aclryranthus,Tribulus, Aristida, etc.
being resistant to digestive enzymes- come
S. ia*U l*fts The edible fruits are consumed but the seeds
(peepal), gu1ya, ap|!e, etc,
out with the faeces of the animal , e.g., Ficus bmghalmsis (banyao), F . religinsa
Nuts of
fuig" ,".a, are thrown away after ionsuming"the juiry and'flet"hy p*il e'g', mango, litchi' etc'
different
at
dry
seeds
these
hide
oak (Quercus), chestrut, ut"., ,t" often collecied by rodeitts T{ ftuy
suitable
conditions.
under
germinatd.
seeds
the
of
some
pla"""-wh"r.

(balsam)'
Disperialof seed$bllexplosivemechanism ftr6 its$f some plants sudi 1s lm?atims
The
vlr{r: G*rri;*, .1",.-b;;;th sudden jerk due to whic-h the'seede are scatte.red in all directions.
the
(sqtrirtins
cucumber),
elatariutn
rn.Eibsllium
sound:
with a
p;{;
"i""tir,g
the
of
attadrment
of
poiit
"t;r;*il,l"A*+"iolentty
the
at
burst
it
to
canse-s
maturifu,
ir,,go" pressure within ttre fruit, after
mass'
mucilaginous
a
with
along
a
fountain
like
p"iicet. Rs a result, the,seeds come out

D-31

Dispersal of Seeds

HOOKED FRU}T$ AND SEEDS

STICKY FRUIT

Hooks

SPines

stickv

YM

ryff

)Gnthiua

Boefiaavia

Adtyfinthus

Hoot(s

Spines

Ads,tda

ffi

Urena

Martynh

PuPalia

Fig.T.SDfferenttypesoffruitsandseedswithadaptationsfortheirdispersalbyanimals
Seeds

Geranium

Ecballium elaartum

for their dispersal by explosive mechanism

Fig,7,4 Different types of fruits and seeds with adaptations