Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

227

Fruits and seeds

Roots lengthen.

In the fall, the badger picks up many seeds on its

fur as it pushes through undergrowth. The seeds

eventually drop off and grow into new plants.

Wind

The light, winged, helicopter-

shaped fruits of sycamore trees

twirl in the wind, far away from

the parent tree. Pines also have

winged seeds. Many plants, such

as cotton and dandelions, have

seeds with fine silky plumes or

parachutes that catch

the breeze.

Find out more

Birds

Flowers and herbs

Plants

Trees

GerMinaTion

Seeds need warmth,

moisture, and air in

order to germinate

(grow). The seeds of

certain tropical plants

start to germinate within

a few days; the seeds of

most other plants remain

dormant, or asleep, until

conditions are right.

Many tree and shrub

seeds must pass through

a cold winter before they

can begin to grow.

First true

leaves

open.

Shoot

lengthens.

Plumule

grows

upward.

Roots

develop

branches.

Seed is

contained

inside fruit.

Sycamore fruit

has wings to

carry it through

the air.

BurierS

Squirrels

bury nuts to eat during the winter.

Sometimes squirrels forget where

they have buried these

nuts, and the forgotten

seeds may sprout the

following spring.

Radicle

(young

root)

WheaT

The seeds of

cereals such as

wheat and

other grasses

have only one

seed leaf. These

seeds are called

monocotyledons.

First

leaves

Young

shoot

Root hairs

begin to

grow.

runner Bean

a runner bean has a food store

in the form of two seed leaves

that are called cotyledons.

First true

leaves

Plumule

(young shoot)

hoW SeedS are SPread

Plants have several ways of spreading their seeds.

Some seeds have wings or parachutes that are blown

by the wind. The coconut plant has seeds that float and are

carried on water. The sweet pea has a pod that snaps open

and flings the seeds out. animals also disperse seeds. Birds

eat berries and other fruits, then drop the seeds as they

feed or pass them out

after digestion.

Radicle

(young root)

begins to

grow.

BirdS

Birds and

monkeys

are the main

seed spreaders

for many fruits.

Seeds stick to the bird’s bill

to be wiped off later on a

branch or the ground.

acorn

a large oak tree

bears thousands of ripe

fruits called acorns. animals

cannot eat them all; a few

survive to grow into new oak trees.

WaTer

aquatic plants such as water lilies

and lotus flowers produce fruits

that float away downriver

on water currents. The

fruits often grow

into new plants

far away from

the parent

plant.

The lotus flower

lives in water. Its

seeds float away

downstream to

grow elsewhere.

hookS and BurrS

numerous kinds of fruits and seeds have hooks and

burrs on their outer casings. These hooks catch onto

the fur or feathers of a passing mammal or bird and

sometimes on to our shoes, socks, and clothing, to fall

off later. Well-known

hooked fruits are

burdock, cleavers,

agrimony, and South

african grapple fruit.

exPloSive

PodS

Fruits such as those of

the lupin are still soft

and fleshy when they shed

their seeds. When they are

fully ripe, the casing suddenly

splits open, and the seeds pop out

with explosive force.

dandelion

each time you

blow on the head

of a dandelion

you spread the

seeds on their

feathery parachutes.

Dormant

seed

Testa (seed

case)

containing

seed leaves

US_227_Fruits_Seeds_2.indd 227 21/01/16 4:59 pm