84 DISTRIBUTION OF SEEDS. 



The seed of the Maple and Ash, are also furnished with 

 wings, not of down, but consisting of a fine membrane, and 

 by means of which they are wafted from one place to another, 

 at the distance of several miles. Other seeds are provided 

 with hooks, or barbs, by which they attach themselves to the 

 clothing of various animals, and are thus carried away from 

 the places of their growth. There are few persons on whose 

 acquaintance the seeds of the Burdock, (Arctium lappa,) have 

 not forced themselves by such means. The calyx of this 

 plant is furnished with hooks, standing in all directions, and 

 which, therefore, are always ready to catch hold of any 

 fibrous substance that happens to touch it. The tenacity with 

 which these little intruders keep their hold, is well known to 

 those who have been the subjects of their attack. 



There are many other plants whose seeds are provided 

 with similar means of disseminating themselves to various 

 distances. The fruit of the little vine, with whorled leaves, 

 called Cleavers, (Galium,) is in the form of a burr, which at- 

 taches itself to almost every thing that comes in its way, and 

 hence there is hardly a place in the woods, or along fences in 

 the fields, where it is not to be found. The Tick-seed, (An- 

 cist?'um,) and the Sea-Burdock, (Xanthium,) are possessed of 

 similar appendages, by which their seeds cling to other sub- 

 stances, and are thus carried away from the places of their 

 growth. The awns, or beards, of many of the grasses, 

 answer the same purpose. For such seeds as are not fur- 

 nished with wings, or hooks, the wisdom of the Creator has 

 provided other means to effect their dissemination. Animals, 

 such as squirrels and birds, are the instruments by which the 

 seeds of nuts, and the kernels of pulpy fruits, are often trans- 

 ported to considerable distances from their places of growth. 

 Birds, in consequence of the rapidity of their flight, often 

 carry seeds some hundreds of miles. This circumstance 

 will frequently account for the appearance of a single plant 

 in situations where its species are entirely unknown, and 

 where not another individual of the same kind is to be found 

 in the same district of country. Every practical botanist will 



What is said of the wings of the maple and ash 1 By what means are 

 the seeds of the burdock distributed 1 What other seeds are mentioned aa 

 being provided with similar means of dissemination 1 What is said of the 

 transportation of seeds by animals and birds ? 



