Dehydration spreader

Gorse is one of the plants that spread their seeds when the drying fruits open up explosively

As dehydration spreader or Xeroballochoren refers to plants that use a specific mechanism to spread their seeds. This form of spreading of the seed is a sub-form of the Ballochorie , as the form of spreading through sudden catapult-like hurling movements is called in botany .

After flowering, these plants develop fruits in which the seed ripens. As the fruit ripens, the tissue of the fruit gradually dries out so that it contracts and the fruit opens up. This often happens explosively, so that during this process the seeds are scattered over several meters.

• These so-called explosion spreaders as a sub-form of desiccation spreading include:
  • some kinds of peas ( pisum )
    • Broad-leaf pea
    • Spring pea
    • Common pea
  • Spurge ( Euphorbia )
    • Euphorbia leuconeura
• The desiccation spreaders also include:
  • Legumes ( Fabaceae ) such as gorse or lupine
  • Types of violets
  • Cranesbills
  • Many buttercups such as the common columbine