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    Bio Investigatory

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    Triparna Roy
    The document discusses the dispersal of seeds by various agencies such as wind, water, animals, and explosive mechanisms. It provides details on the characteristics and adaptations of seeds that facilitate their dispersal by each of these agencies. Seeds dispersed by wind often have wings, hairs, or balloon-like appendages. Seeds dispersed by water frequently have floating devices or a water-resistant protective coating. Seeds dispersed by animals commonly have hooks, spines, stickiness, or are edible. Seeds dispersed by explosive mechanisms burst forcefully from their fruits to throw the seeds over distances.

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    Bio Investigatory

    Uploaded by

    Triparna Roy
    3K views5 pages
    The document discusses the dispersal of seeds by various agencies such as wind, water, animals, and explosive mechanisms. It provides details on the characteristics and adaptations of seeds that facilitate their dispersal by each of these agencies. Seeds dispersed by wind often have wings, hairs, or balloon-like appendages. Seeds dispersed by water frequently have floating devices or a water-resistant protective coating. Seeds dispersed by animals commonly have hooks, spines, stickiness, or are edible. Seeds dispersed by explosive mechanisms burst forcefully from their fruits to throw the seeds over distances.

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    The document discusses the dispersal of seeds by various agencies such as wind, water, animals, and explosive mechanisms. It provides details on the characteristics and adaptations of seeds that facilitate their dispersal by each of these agencies. Seeds dispersed by wind often have wings, hairs, or balloon-like appendages. Seeds dispersed by water frequently have floating devices or a water-resistant protective coating. Seeds dispersed by animals commonly have hooks, spines, stickiness, or are edible. Seeds dispersed by explosive mechanisms burst forcefully from their fruits to throw the seeds over distances.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    3K views5 pages

    Bio Investigatory

    Uploaded by

    Triparna Roy
    The document discusses the dispersal of seeds by various agencies such as wind, water, animals, and explosive mechanisms. It provides details on the characteristics and adaptations of seeds that facilitate their dispersal by each of these agencies. Seeds dispersed by wind often have wings, hairs, or balloon-like appendages. Seeds dispersed by water frequently have floating devices or a water-resistant protective coating. Seeds dispersed by animals commonly have hooks, spines, stickiness, or are edible. Seeds dispersed by explosive mechanisms burst forcefully from their fruits to throw the seeds over distances.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 5

    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

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