News Plants

Shower power: Raindrops shoot seeds out with a splat

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

Brazilian botanists have caught Mother Nature playing with squirt guns.

SQUIRT CORNERS. The rain forest Bertolonia mosenii forms seeds in triangular brown capsules (above), which have open corners. Each capsule (below, left) reveals hundreds of seeds if someone peels the top open (at right, below). Pizo

W. L. Daltro

When raindrops hit the triangular seed capsules of a Bertolonia plant, water floods internal channels, then squirts out the capsule corners carrying seeds with it, report Marco A.