Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-14
ROWING SEEDS.
Novel Methods of Vegetable Propagn-
ton.

Novel Methods of Vegetable Propnra-
ton.
From the New York Post.
Did you ever watch the seeds fall from
the sugar maple, or the silver maple-trees
often planted in the streets of our cities :?
The fruit is two-seeded, each seed being
provided with 1attened projection or wing
which spreads out like fan. The pair are
Joined. the wings approaching right angle
with each other. When they fall from the
tree. you may see these wings revolve like
the blades Of the screw of steamship,
and they pillow their way through the ocean
of air. often for long distances, until they
reach the earth.
Opposite my door is magnificent white
ash, and on September days 1 while away
few moments observing the fruit leave
the tree. The seeds, while hanging in what
We called in our childhood punches of
keys" are single, but like those of the
maple, form a samara, that is, they have
a wing-like appendage. In this instance
the wing incloses the seed at one end and
Is then prolonged like the blade of an oar
As soon as 1t leaves the bunch of keys"
the wing revolves in the current of air. re-
minding Of the action Of an oar in sculing
In this way, by automatic sculing, many
seed is carried far beyond the area ruled
over by the parent ash tree, and the young
plants, when they start into active life will
rot rob their progenitor of its nourishment.
The elm has similar provision only in its
case the wing extends equally on all sides
of the seed, and when set free to seek its
fortune, the adventurer fiIcks up and down
on this side and on that in the oldest way
ward fashion, until it finds resting place
or the many pleasures which await the
observing eye, the methods of transport
Ing seeds are by no means the least inter-
wi
OF pepper dredSer, the holes of which are
Just under the cap. AS the wind rattles
the dry stalk. or some animal pushes
against 1t, the small black grains are
thrown broadcast around The violet with
Its three-valved pod dries up, inside out as
1t Were thus scattering its seeds with force
enough to throw them to some distance.
In the south of Europe grows the squirting
cucumber, from which we get the drug
elaterium. By the action of the juice on
the tissue of the chamber containing the
the slightest touch will cause an explosion,
like that of saltwater bottle, and the
seeds are elected as canister-shot was of
Old often falling at distance of twenty
feet.
Another plant acts more leisurely. In
stead of flying. clinging to some animal,
or being shot out from it's parent, 1t de-
Hberately sets itself to walk to its future
nome. 1t Is an ally of the mistletoe and
has viscid berry. Wherever the seed falls
It adheres, and there terminates When
the radicle has become about an inch long
1t develops a fiattened disk at its extremity
and then curves about until the disk
touches some neighboring surface Should
1t ind the locality suitable one 1t pro-
ceeds at once to grow. If not, 1T lifts itself
up, tears the viscid berry from its hold
twists itself in new direction deposits
the berry again, lifts up the disk, and tries
2 new spot, repeating the process until it's
wants are satisfied This strange plant is
en- arceuthobium. and Is parasitic on juni-
pers A relative of it, characteristic on beech
trees. Is provided with four long hattened
appendages by which 1t anchors itself to
the branches until it's sucking disk has
good hold.
There is no need to dwell on the artiflce
or concealing seeds in a tempting and sue
euent fruit. but the morality of assuming
z disguise may be questioned. Yet such is
the plan of Scorpiurus, which has seeds so
like caterpillar or a centipede that a bird
may be forgiven for being deceived into
swallowing one in expectation of dainty
morsel.