146 MORPHOLOGY 



of Clematis (see fig. 144, a) and chhagalbati {Naravelia 

 zeylanicd) are tipped with long hairy persistent stj'les; 

 the seed-like fruits of kashe {Sorghum) have abundant 

 silky hair. Similarly, the seeds of many Bignoniacece, 

 such as atkapali (Stereospermuin chelonoides) and 

 parul (S. suaveolens) ; of several Sterculiacece, such as 

 jungli-badam (Sterculia foetida), kanak-champa or 

 mooch -kunda; of the Indian Cork tree; of toon 

 (Cedrela Toona), Indian Satin-wood (Chloroxylmi 

 Swietenia), sajina (Moringa pterygosperma), have their 

 testa prolonged into expanded wings; the fruits of 

 madhabi-lata and chuprhi-aloo have similarly their 

 pericarp expanded into wings; and the fruits of 

 many Dipterocarpacece, such as sal (see fig. 165) and 

 garjan, are provided with winged persistent sepals. 

 These wings and hairy growths also serve as steering- 

 gear while the seeds and fruits remain floating in the 

 air. Wind-disseminated seeds are usually produced 

 in large quantities, which is a provision against in- 

 evitable loss during transport. 



Seeds and fruits that are dispersed by water — such 

 as rivers, ocean-currents, &c. — are provided with thick 

 water-tight coats, which prevent the water reaching 

 the inside and spoiling their germinating power. They 

 are lightened and made capable of floating by air 

 enclosed in air-spaces within their coats. Thus fruits 

 like Cocoa-nut, Betel-nut, Country Almond, and gol- 

 pata {Nipa fruticans) have thick, spongy, air-tight 

 coats, and the seeds of many aquatic plants have air- 

 spaces in their covering, as in Monochoria, Alisma, 

 Bulomopsis, Sagittaria, NympJicea, &c. Trees and 

 shrubs with littoral habitat bear fruits or seeds, which 

 remain floating in the water for a considerable time 

 without their germinating power being impaired in any 

 way. The appearance of Cocoa-nut palms as the first 



