Sentence:  ... sleeping life waiting to be spread and dispersed, every seed armed with an <WSD>appliance</WSD> of dispersal, twisting darts and parachutes for the wind, little spears and balls of tiny thorns, and all waiting for animals and for the wind, for a man's trouser cuff or the hem of a woman's skirt ... 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  An implement, an instrument or apparatus designed (or at least used) as a means to a specific end (often specified), especially: