Page 59 - Viva ICSE Science 5 : E-book

features. Let’s study how these features help in dispersal and the mechanism of dispersal
of each agent.

Wind

The seeds of plants like cotton, sycamore and dandelion are

very light and have either wing-like structures or hair on them.
These features enable them to be easily carried away by wind.

Water Dandelion

The seeds or fruits of plants growing near or in water are
either spongy or fi brous. This enables them to fl oat on
water. Water then carries them to diff erent places. For

example, coconut and lotus fruit, and seeds of mangrove
plants are carried away by water.
Coconut fl oating in water

Animals
Human beings and animals eat fl eshy fruits, like apples,

mangoes, etc. and throw away their seeds in diff erent
places. These seeds germinate into new plants on

getting appropriate conditions for growth. Some birds
and animals eat fruits and swallow their seeds. The
undigested seeds get dispersed when they are expelled
A bird eating cherries
from their body.

Seeds of some plants like Xanthium have sticky hair,
bristles, hooks or barbs. These get transported by sticking
hooks
to the fur of animals or even to the clothes of human

beings.

Xanthium

Explosion

Some fruits scatter their seeds by exploding the seed
pods. When the seeds are ripe and the pod has dried, it

bursts open and the seeds are scattered. For example,
pods of squirting cucumber, pea and balsam spread
their seeds by explosion. Pea pod exploding

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