Page 77 - The Miracle In The Seed

Seed Dispersal

Seeds of wild barley (Hordeum murinum), one of the
gramineae, are covered in fine hairs and employ a
special system for clinging to passers by. This sys-
tem is so effective that every movement makes the
seed cling more tightly to the spot where it’s attached
itself to. Thanks to the micro-husks at the tip of the
thorns, the seeds at the bottom are protected from
any dangers they may encounter. (Grains de Vie, p.
46.)

The seed head of the rose
clover (Trifolium hirtum)
is covered in fluffy hairs.
If an animal brushes
against it, this structure
around the fruit breaks,
and the seeds are scat-
tered in the wind. (Grains
de Vie, p. 46.)

The digestive system in
mammals works much
more slowly than that of
birds, so that seeds in-
gested by mammals can
be carried far greater dis-
tances. For example, large
herbivores like African ele-
phants play an important
role in dispersing seeds,
and the germination of
some species like
Baillonella toxisperma, na-
tive to Western Africa, de-
pends entirely on
elephants. (Grains de Vie,
p. 49.)