Dispersal distances from splash-cup plants depend on the cup's angle and contents.
J R Soc Interface
; 21(218): 20240129, 2024 Sep.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39240250
ABSTRACT
Splash-cup plants disperse propagules via raindrops striking cup-shaped fruiting bodies. The seeds are ejected at velocities up to five times the impact speed of the raindrop and are dispersed up to 1 m from the parent plant. Here, we examine the effects of cup angles and the presence of seed mimics to understand the dynamics of this unique method of dispersal. Our findings demonstrate that (i) cup angles that launched seeds the furthest ranged from approximately 30° to 50°, matching the range of angles seen in splash-cup plants. (ii) Seeds travel shorter distances than water droplets alone, and this distance depends on the number of seeds in the cup. (iii) Not all seeds are ejected from initially dry cups, leaving cups with some seeds and some water. (iv) Nearly all seeds are ejected from cups that contain both water and seeds, and those that are ejected travel significantly further than those from dry cups. These results confirm the possibility that the conical shape of splash cup plants may be adapted to maximize dispersal distance and benefit from multiple splash events. Our results also illustrate that future work on these plants should include seeds rather than water droplets alone.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Sementes
/
Dispersão de Sementes
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J R Soc Interface
/
J. R. Soc. interface (Online)
/
Journal of the Royal Society interface (Online)
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos
País de publicação:
Reino Unido