Shields Jena, Ramirez-Esquivel Fiorella, Sun Yukun, Shih Aspen, Ravi Sridhar, Roh Chris
Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
School of Engineering Technology, University of New South Wales, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
J R Soc Interface. 2025 Sep;22(230):20250227. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2025.0227. Epub 2025 Sep 10.
Seed dispersal through wind was historically considered a random process; however, plants can influence their dispersal through non-random seed detachment or abscission. Dandelion seeds facing the wind tend to abscise before those facing downwind, yet the mechanism that supports this has remained unclear. We measured the force needed for abscission in different directions and performed imaging of the detachment process. This revealed an asymmetry in the seed attachment morphology, which results in massive differences in the abscission force needed relative to the direction. We developed a mechanistic model to explain this directional bias and identified morphological factors that determine the properties of seed abscission. This discovery highlights plant adaptations that shape the seed dispersal profile to enhance reproductive success and can be used to improve population dynamic models of wind-dispersed plants.
从历史上看，通过风力进行的种子传播被认为是一个随机过程；然而，植物可以通过非随机的种子脱离或脱落来影响其传播。面对风向的蒲公英种子往往比顺风方向的种子更早脱落，但其背后的支撑机制尚不清楚。我们测量了不同方向脱落所需的力，并对脱离过程进行了成像。这揭示了种子附着形态的不对称性，这导致相对于方向而言，所需的脱落力存在巨大差异。我们开发了一个机械模型来解释这种方向偏差，并确定了决定种子脱落特性的形态学因素。这一发现突出了植物的适应性，这些适应性塑造了种子传播模式以提高繁殖成功率，并可用于改进风媒植物的种群动态模型。
