CHAPTER XVII 



THE SEED'S TRAVELLING OUTFIT 



Seeds are not only well supplied with food before beginning 

 their independent life, but every care is taken to arm and 

 equip them in such a way that they may travel far afield, if 

 necessary, to find congenial soil. If they were to drop down 

 under the plant and remain there they would have a hard 

 struggle for existence in soil already exhausted. 



The Asclepias and Stapelia family provides its seeds with 

 a long tuft of silky hairs. The seeds are packed away in the 

 ovary with a marvellous economy 

 of space. When ready for their 



Fig. 163. — Ripe seed of Epilobiunt, with 

 coronet of hairs (magnified). (From 

 Thome and Bennett's "Structural and 

 Physiological Botany.") 



Fig. 164. — Lcjicadendron argen 

 teiiiii. Nut with persistent style 

 and calyx, the latter split at its 

 base and prevented from slipping 

 off by the knobby stigma. (From 

 Edmonds and Marloth's "Ele- 

 mentary Botany for South Africa.") 



journey the ripe pods split open, the tufts of hairs push out 

 the seeds, and they go sailing, sometimes miles away. 



Epilobium of the Evening Primrose family has seeds similarly 

 provided. 



The seeds of the South African Proteaceae do not escape 



