When witch hazel plants are ready to disperse their seeds, the woody seed capsules split open, pressure builds up, and eventually the seeds shoot out like a bullet fired from a rifle, hitting 30 feet per second in less than five milliseconds. In a new study, researchers looked into how witch hazels manage to fling heavier seeds just as fast as lighter ones. The secret lies in their spring-loaded fruits.
If you happened upon a witch hazel plant in the forest, you might describe it as a sweet-smelling shrub with crinkly ribbon-like petals. But to Duke University graduate student Justin Jorge, it's a howitzer.When witch hazels are ready to disperse their seeds, their woody seed capsules split open. Pressure builds up, and eventually the seeds shoot out like bullets fired from a rifle, hitting 30 feet per second in about half a millisecond.
The researchers collected fruits from three members of the witch hazel family found in Duke Gardens or Duke Forest. Some of the smallest seeds weighed in at 15 milligrams -- lighter than a grain of rice -- while others were 10 times more massive. And yet the witch hazels were able to fling heavyweight seeds just as fast as lighter ones.
"It's similar to how you can shoot out a watermelon seed by squeezing it between your fingers," Jorge said. As a next step, Jorge is looking at the forces acting on witch hazel seeds as they fly through the air and how far they can travel.
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