Hi, welcome to this blog on the topic: Dispersal of weed seeds and fruits.
Table Of Contents
- Dispersal of weed seeds and fruits
- Mode of dispersal of weeds.
- Agents of dispersal of seeds.
- Revision Questions
Dispersal of Weed Seeds and Fruits
Most seeds and fruits of weeds are generally dispersed by wind and animals. They produce large number of fruits and seeds, many of which fail to establish themselves due to the fact that they do not find favorable soil condition.
Mode of Dispersal of Weeds include
- Dispersal of seeds by wind
- Dispersal of seeds by animals
- Dispersal of seeds by water
- Dispersal of seeds by explosive mechanism.
1. Dispersal of seeds by wind: The fruits and seeds of many weed species are specially adapted to disperser by wind. Weed species which spread their seeds through the agency of wind often have feathery winged or powdery seeds, e.g, tridax procumbens, Goat weed, guinea grass, elephant grass and many other species of the grass family.
2. Dispersal of seeds by animals: Animals like a rabbit, rats, squirrels, antelopes and man are involved in the dispersal of weed seeds. Animal dispersed weeds usually have sticky, hooked, edible or colorful fruits or seeds. The sticky and hooked type of fruits and seeds adhere to the coat of grazing animals and are carried from one place to another.
Some animals, particularly birds, swallow the seed of edible fruit. These pass unharmed through their digestive tracts. Examples of animals dispers weeds are pig weed (boerhavia diffusa) and commelina spp.
3. Dispersal of seeds by water: Water dispersed weeds are common in riverine areas. Fruits or seeds of such weeds have waterproof cuticles, air spaces within the seed/fruit mesocarp and light weight.
4. Dispersal of seeds by explosive mechanism: Few plants and all leguminous weeds are dispersed by explosive mechanism, e.g, talinum triangulare centrosoma, pueraria, calopogonium and Mucuna.
Revision Questions
- Briefly describe four methods of weed dispersal.
- What is dispersal of weed seeds?
- Describe briefly dispersal of seeds by water
- Describe briefly dispersal of seeds by explosive mechanism.
- Briefly Explain the mode of dispersal of weeds by wind.
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