Various flying modes of wind-dispersal seeds.
The flight behavior of two kinds of seeds dispersed by wind, pappose seeds and winged seeds is observed and the aero- and flight-dynamics of these seeds are analysed. There are four flight modes: parachuting flight by pappi and gliding, rocking and spinning (or auto-rotational) flights utilizing a wing or wings. A bundle of pappi is applied to small seeds of flowering plants, whereas the wing is widely utilized for flowering trees. Various flight modes of winged seeds are strongly dependent on their plan form and the location of their center-of-gravity (CG). Performances as well as flight modes, specifically the rate of descent, are considered to be selective so as to depend on their environmental conditions and their way of life in their own environments.
Minami
Shizuka
S
University of San Francisco, 2130 Fulton Street, San Francisco, CA 94117-1080, USA.
Azuma
Akira
A
D008954:Models, Biological; D009038:Motion; D010944:Plants; D012639:Seeds; D014197:Trees; D014919:Wind