The Role of Wheat Awns in the Seed Dispersal Unit

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1140097
• Publication Date: 2007-05-10T21:45:54Z
• Authors: Rivka Elbaum; Liron Zaltzman; Ingo Burgert; Peter Fratzl
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Climate; Microscopy, Acoustic; Humidity; Silicon Dioxide; Lignin; Plant Epidermis; Soil; 03 medical and health sciences; Seeds; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Stress, Mechanical; Cellulose; Triticum

The dispersal unit of wild wheat bears two pronounced awns that balance the as it falls. We discovered are also able to propel seeds on and into ground. arrangement cellulose fibrils causes bending with changes in humidity. Silicified hairs cover allow propulsion only direction seeds. This suggests dead tissue is analogous a motor. Fueled by daily humidity cycle, induce motility required for seed dispersal.