Dispersal by wind
These fruits and seeds show the following adaptations for carrying out dispersal by means of wind.
| Adaptation | Examples |
|---|---|
| Bearing fibre-like structures that help them float | wara, kapok, Bombax |
| Bearing wing-like structures that help them float | hora, gammalu, drumstick, wara |
| The fruits and seeds arising at the apex of the plant | mahogany, hora |
| The seeds being very light | orchid |
| A large quantity of fruits and seeds being produced | grasses, mahogany, wara, kapok cotton |
Figure to be added
Two ways to stay up
Fibres and wings solve the same problem differently. Fibres make the seed enormous for its weight, so it drifts — kapok floats like a cloud. A wing makes it spin instead, so it falls slowly while the wind pushes it sideways. Both buy the same thing: time in the air.
Height is an adaptation too
The third and fifth entries are not about the seed at all. Releasing from the top of a tall tree buys the same extra seconds of falling that a wing does, and producing many seeds accepts that wind-scattering is a lottery and buys more tickets.