Hydrochory in Astrophytum coahuilense: experiment to identify seminal structures that provide its buoyancy

• Published in: Polibotánica no. 46; pp. 149 - 157
• Main Authors: Romero-Méndez, U., Becerra-López, J.L., García-De la Peña, C., Martínez-Ríos, J.J., Czaja, A., Muro, G., Sánchez, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Portuguese; English
• Published: Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas 2018
• Subjects: cámara del embrión; cámara vacía; densidad; density; embryo chamber; empty chamber; floatability; flotabilidad; Plant Sciences; seed; semilla; densidad; seed; density; semilla; empty chamber; embryo chamber; cámara vacía; floatability; cámara del embrión; flotabilidad
• ISSN: 1405-2768; 2395-9525
• DOI: 10.18387/polibotanica.46.8

Hidrocoras seeds usually have some type of structures for dispersion in water. The structures may have less density than water, low specific weight, chambers of air, spongy tissue and small cotyledons with spongy tissue. This study evaluated the ability of buoyancy of Astrophytum coahuilense seeds and the structures that give this feature. The density of water and seed density values were compared to demonstrate the tendency to float. A group of five full seeds, five chambers empty structures and five structures of Chamber of the embryo with five replicates, respectively, were put to the test, by placing them in distilled water for 24 hours, by quantifying the seeds and structures that remained afloat. The empty chamber and full seed showed greater buoyancy compared to the embryo chamber, suggesting that the empty chamber provides to the seed a lower density with respect to the water, giving it the ability to float.