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Annals of Botany 78: 431-436, 1996
© 1996 Annals of Botany Company

Upwind Movement of Achenes of Centaurea eriophora L. on the Ground

ALLAN WITZTUM, KALMAN SCHULGASSER and STEVEN VOGEL

Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, Beer Sheva, Israel Pearlstone Center for Aeronautical Studies, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, Beer Sheva, Israel Department of Zoology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA

November 20, 1995 ; March 6, 1996

The lightly compressed achenes of Centaurea eriophora L. bear a pappus composed of stiff bristles at their apex and have an elaiosome appendage at their base. The pappus is ineffective in keeping the achene wind-borne but does serve to regulate the movement of the achene on the ground in response to wind. In wind the achene swivels like a weather vane with the base of the achene pointing into the wind. In weak wind the pappus bristles prevent the achene from blowing away. In stronger wind the bristles move due to their flattened, flexible, hinge-like bases and act like ratchets against the substratum, thus enabling the achene to move upwind. In either case achenes remain in groups. Ants are attracted to the elaiosome and disperse the achenes. Wind-induced movement was explored by testing achenes on various substrata in a wind tunnel at free-stream speeds between 2 and 7 m s-1.

Wind dispersal; Centaurea eriophora ; seeds; achenes


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E. RUIZ DE CLAVIJO
Role of Within-individual Variation in Capitulum Size and Achene Mass in the Adaptation of the Annual Centaurea eriophora to Varying Water Supply in a Mediterranean Environment
Ann. Bot., August 1, 2002; 90(2): 279 - 286.
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