How do seeds spread?

Many plants have seeds, different plants have different seed shape, size, color, surface texture and so on, but they all have a characteristic, that is, they can reproduce. If you want to reproduce, you have to spread. So, what do seeds use to spread seeds?

There are many ways of seed transmission, such as self-transmission, wind transmission, hydraulic transmission, bird transmission, mammal transmission, insect transmission and so on. Among them, self-transmission depends on the plant itself, and does not rely on other media.

1. Self-transmission

It is spread by the plant itself, and does not depend on other media. The seed itself has weight, and after ripening, the seed will fall directly to the ground due to gravity, such as hairy persimmon and big-leaf mountain olive; some seeds will crack after ripening and eject the seeds, such as African impatiens, Bauhinia, Bauhinia, beans, and so on.

2. Wind propagation

Some seeds grow into catkins or feathery appendages that fly in the wind, such as yellow quail, willow, and kapok; some small seeds have a large relative ratio of surface area to weight, so that the seeds can be dispersed in the wind and spread them far away, such as dandelions.

3. Hydraulic transmission

The surface of this kind of seed is wax-free, the pericarp contains air chamber, and its specific gravity is lower than that of water. it can float on the surface and spread through streams or ocean currents. Because the seed coat is often rich in fiber, it can prevent the seeds from rotting or sinking due to soaking and absorbing water. Such as water lilies, coconuts, chessboard feet, lotus leaf trees, olive kernels and so on.

4. Bird transmission

Most of these seeds are fleshy fruit. Birds peck at the fruit. Because the seeds are not easy to digest, they are often excreted with feces, or spit out the seeds directly.

5. Mammal transmission

The seed will stick to the animal, or the animal's food, and when the animal moves, it will spread the seed.

6. Insect transmission

It depends on insects (bees, butterflies, moths, flies, ants, etc.) to spread seeds.