Samara (fruit)
A samara (anemochory.
In some cases the seed is in the centre of the wing, as in the
bushwillows (genus Combretum
).
In other cases the seed is on one side, with the wing extending to the other side, making the seed
There are also single-wing samara such as mahogany (genus Swietenia) which have a shape that enables fluttering.
Some species that normally produce paired samaras, such as Acer pseudoplatanus, can also produce them in groups of three or four.[5]
-
Unusual group of three samaras of sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus. Normally, they are in pairs.) -
Seeds of the tropical ash (Fraxinus uhdei) -
The hoptree (Ptelea trifoliata) -
The Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila)
In culture
A samara is sometimes called a key[2] and is often referred to as a wingnut, helicopter, whirlybird, whirligig, polynose, or, in the north of England, a spinning jenny.[6] During the autumn months, they are a popular source of amusement for children (and adults) who enjoy tossing them in the air and watching them spin to the ground.
References
- ^ "samara". Oxford English Dictionary online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- ^ a b Gray, Asa (1875). Botany for young people and common subjects : how plants grow : a simple introduction to structural botany : with popular flora, or an arrangement and description of common plants, both wild and cultivated : illustrated by 500 wood engravings. Fisher - University of Toronto. New York : Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor. p. 79.
- ISBN 9780811720922.
- ISBN 9780801880599.
- ISBN 9780226586304.
- ^ "Seed dispersal by wind: Gone with the wind - Woodland Trust". www.woodlandtrust.org.uk. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
Further reading
- Spinning Flight : Dynamics of Frisbees, Boomerangs, Samaras and Skipping Stones, Ralph Lorenz, Copernicus New York, September 2006 ISBN 0-387-30779-6
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