510 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



Many seeds and nuts are not provided with any means to aid in their distribu- 

 tion, but this is often accomplished in some degree by the spread of the branches 

 causing them to fall at a litde distance from the root of the plant producing them. 

 Nuts and acorns in falling frequently strike on branches and bound or glance off 

 to a distance of some rods. And in falling to the ground they frequently strike 

 on sticks, etc., and bound to a considerable distance, and should it be on a hill- 

 side, they may go several rods before stopping. 



Many plants and shrubs grow in a leaning or inclined position as if on pur- 

 pose to reach out and drop their seeds as far as possible from their own roots. 



Many grow entirely prostrate, sending out their stems on the surface of the 

 ground, apparently for the same purpose. Scores of plants might be named in 

 illustration of this fact. Some plants have their seed carpels so arranged as to 

 give the appearance of having been made specially to retain instead of disperse 

 the seeds they contain. Poppy, jimson, mullein and many others have the open- 

 ing at the top as if to prevent the seeds from falling out. But in this we see a 

 wise provision for the scattering of the seed, for if the openings were at the bot- 

 tom instead of the top the seed as soon as ripe would all fall out around the 

 stalk on which they grew making it impossible to thrive; but as arranged the seed 

 can be thrown out only as the plant is shaken by the wind or other means, and 

 so is scattered around to a considerable distance. The wind is thus seen to be- 

 come an agent in the dispersion of seeds. The seeds of some trees are furnished 

 with wings (samara) to enable them to float or sail on the air or be carried by the 

 wind as they fall, so they reach the ground some distance from the trees on which 

 they grew. Maple, ash, elm, tulip-tree, linden or basswood, and pine are thus 

 furnished with winged seed. It is w(5rthy of notice that all these are trees that 

 grow to a considerable height so the seeds may sail to a good distance before 

 reaching the ground. 



In this connection notice may be taken of the honey-locust and coffee-tree, 

 whose seeds grow in a broad, flat pod, generally with a spiral twist that some- 

 times causes them to sail ofl" several rods from the parent tree. Every one is 

 acquainted with different kinds of plants that have attached to their seed a tuft of 

 woolly or hairy pappus or down by which they are carried long distances by the 

 wind. It is impossible to assign any limits to the journeys some of these seeds 

 with their buoyant attachments will sometimes travel. Some claim, and with 

 reason, that during long continued storms they may be carried across the ocean 

 and fall on distant continents. 



Thistle, dandelion, fire or butter-weed, are well known examples. The 

 seeds of the cottonwood (poplar) are enveloped in a cottony down that causes 

 them to float about and scatter to great distances over the country. He that 

 cannot see adaptation and design in all these arrangments is blind indeed. Other 

 plants, instead of furnishing their seeds with wings and down to fly with and 

 travel from place to place themselves, scatter their seeds by the way. Two 

 or three species of plants grow in this prairie country, that when grown form 

 large bunches and when broken off by the wind they go rolling and tumbling over 



