Seed dispersal mchanisms remove.this.ecology at ozemail.com.au
Tue Jul 11 18:38:46 EST 2000 I am working with the native
Australian tree species Cadellia pentastylis an obscure species
(and a monotypic genus) belonging to the family Surianaceae. My
question relates to seed dispersal mechanisms and whether the
strategy employed by this species is at all unique. The small
fruits of C. pentastylis remain attached to woody sepals which
swell and twist following pollination and seed maturation. The
sepals enhance seed dispersal as they maintain good bouyancy in
the air rotating like the rotor blades of a helicopter.
Typically plant seeds or fruits themselves develop membranes or
wings to aid dispersal. Is this unusual for sepals to be used in
this way? Are there examples of co-evolution from other
continents? More information about the Plantbio