Scientist Collaborators Jim Dalling , and Mayandi Sivaguru
IGB Core Facilities
NSI X5000 High Resolution CT
Funded by the IGB Core Facilities
Since plants cannot walk around to find better homes for their offspring, they have developed several methods for seed dispersal. Some plants have light and feathery seeds that are carried away by the wind. Other seeds float away on water, protected by their hard coats. Still others use animals as their vehicles—they either are consumed or get attached onto the fur, feathers, or skin. And some plants choose methods that could be considered violently unconventional, like pine trees whose cones only open up in response to fires.