Questions about seeds from hot and dry summer areas

Questions about seeds from hot and dry summer areas
Jamie (Wed, 18 Jun 2003 10:14:51 PDT)

Jane,

you mentioned "tumbleweed" dispertion. Is this a mechanism used by the
drumstick Alliums? It would explain their inflorescenses and the fact that
they typically free themselves from the bulb before they are ripe. Perhaps
to start a journey and release ripe seed while underway? This would answer
one of those garden puzzles that has nuzzled in the back of my brain for
some years.

Jamie V.
Cologne

They would get VERY dry if they just lay on the open ground, of course,

but

many Western American geophytes seem to disperse their seed (e.g., by
"tumbleweed" inflorescences) so that it will blow into crevices, where
presumably the seed would sift down and be somewhat protected from drying
as well as from seed-eating birds and animals.