Wichita eagle., 1889-04-25
PLANT DISPERSION.
The Part Taken by Birds in This
Important Work.
Two Ways in Which Seeds Are Carried by
Different Species Of Birds-The Agency
to Which the World Is Indebted
for Its Pepper Supply.
ID. Morris, in Nature.1

OF plants Is one OF great ID tereSt In view CT
| the difficulty Of accounting for the appear
! ance:of certain species iu.remote islands, no
less than in localities nearer to each other,
| or divided by such barriers as mountain
ranges or deep seas. This subject has,
more or less, engaged the attention of
botany travellers from the time when Oar.
win published his classical " Journal of
Researches" nearly fifty years ago, down
| to the publication of Mr.. Hemsley's ''Bota-
ny of the Challenger Expedition" In the
careful summary Of plants probably dis
tributed by birds, it is mentioned that
| seeds may be carried by birds in either
OF two ways: First by seeds, especially
those provided with barbs and hooks at
taching themselves to the feathers of
birds, and in the case Of aquatic or
burrowing birds being embedded in
mud and thus carried accidentally outside;
or, secondly, by seeds swallowed by fru.
givorous birds being for time lodged
within, and detected afterwards in such
state as to be capable of termination. Ny
object now is not to treat generally Of this
subject, but to place on record two re.
markable and striking instances where
seeds carried and dispersed by birds have
| come Immediately under my own observa-
ton. The examples which shall here de-
scribe will, l believe, show clearly that
birds are capable Of acting as very effective
agents in the dispersal Of plants, and that
the results are so apparent as to be placed
beyond reasonable doubt. In cases where
seeds OF alight character are provided with
barbs and hooks, they are well adapted for
attaching themselves to passing objects,
and are most favorably placed for disper-
sal by means of birds. The particular
ont wit hor oh 7 4
under this category has not, belive, been
mentioned before; but 1t is deserving Of
notice, as it fully meets all the require
ments incidental to this form of dispersal.
and, moreover, have had, for some years,
very favorable opportunities of observing
its behavior. This plant is U1scinta jansaicssts,
Pers. (Cgf1eracee), which grows in damp
places in the mountains of Jamaica, at ele-
vations Of 5000 to 6.000 feet 1t is general
ly found overhanging small pools Of stag
nant water or on banks Of mountain rivu-
lets. Its slender tapering spikes, when
ripe, literally bristle with long exserted
rachilla, each shaped something like a
shepherds crook (hamate), but with the
hooked part SO closely fitting and elastic
that, if drawn along the back of the hand,
it would grasp and draw out the finest
hairs.
Now, such places as are affected by this
Uncinia are also the frequent resort of
numerous birds that come there to drink
or battle, or to seek GOODNESS and shade
In the case of migratory birds, and es-
pecially those that cover long distances IN
their flight, the high lands are generally
those first touched. This is doubtless oW-
ing to the elevation at which they fly to
escape surface currents or local objects l
have often noticed birds from the north
(the United Statesl On their way south,
and again birds of the south returning to
the north in early spring, freQuenting the
high lands Of Jamaica, and resting there for
time before continuing their Journey.
Some such birds have been easily caught
by hand, SO exhausted were they with their
long flight. In two instances 1 have found
small migratory birds so completely en-
tangled III the hooks of the Uncnia that
they Were unable to extricate themselves;
and, unless set at liberty at the time, would
probably have died in that situation. In
these instances the hooks of the Uncinia
overstepped their proper function; for,
obviously no benefit would arise to the
plant from the death Of the birds, but only
in the removal of the seed to another place
Larger birds, of course, would not be
caught; but On the other hand, if they
came within reach of the Uncinia, they
could hardly get away without detaching
large number of the fruits and transport
ing them wherever they went. 1t follows,
as a matter of course, the Cncaa janaai-
censiS is found plentifully distributed in the
track Of migratory birds, and is found in
similar situations in the mountains on the
mainland in Central America, Venezuela,
Ecuador, etc. So much for seeds with
barbS and hooks.
We now come to the second class Of
seeds, namely, those which are swallowed
by frugivorous birds and detected in a state
suitable for termination. The most strik-
ing examples know of the dispersion of
such seeds, and of the results which imme-
diately follow, are shown in connection
with the pilnento industry of Jamaica,
which depends entirely for it's existence on
the offices Of frugivorous birds. The pi-
mento of commerce is the dried fruit of the
pine nto allspice, or Jamaica pepper tree
(Pinenta gulgaris). No other country sup
plies this article although the tree itself
is widely distributed both in the West In
dies and on the mainland), and the value Of
the exports Of pimento from Jamaica has
reached (in 1SS0) a total Of 100000. This
is probably the largest spice industry in
the world, and to repeat what is mentioned
above, Ii Is wholly dependent upon the
action OF frugivorous birds. In, Lunan's
"Hortus Jamaicensis," published about the
end OF last century, il Is stated that ''the
usual method in forming a new pimento
plan tation, or 'pimento walk, is nothing
more than to appropriate piece of wood
land In the peighborhood of a planta-
ton already existing; or in a coun-
try where the scattered trees
are found in native state, the
woods OF which being fallen, the trees are
suffered to remain on the ground till they
become rotten and perish. Ia the course
Of twelve months after the first seasons
(ra1ns), abundance OF young pimento
plants will be found growing vigorously
in all parts of the land. being, without
doubt, produced from ripe berries scat
tered there BY the birds, while the fallen
trees, etc, afford them both shelter and
shade.' In a fcot-note it Is added that
= birds eagerly devour the ripe seeds Of
the pimento, and, nuting them, propa-
gate these trees In all parts OK the woods.
1t Is thought that the seeds passing
through them undergo some fermentation
which fits them better for vegetation than
those gathered Immediately from the
tree TIE present plan for forming
pimento plantations in Jamaica IS exactly
as desert bed above. In fact, the planters
firmly believe that no other plan Is likely
70 produce good pEnento walks although
II hiss been shown By experiments n The
Botanical Gardens that. oy careful treat
Eent, plants OF pinento can be raised n
nurseries Z large numbers, exactly SIS any
other economic plants II remains, how
ever. that al the present pimento plansa-
tons N Jamaica have besn formed by tie
action Of fruzivoro1s birds