堇菜属种子荚结构塑造顺序、力增强的夹持式种子传播

Viola seed pod architecture shapes sequential, force-augmented pinching Sequential pinch-coupled seed dispersal Violets (Viola spp.) are successful perennial herbs native to most temperate and subtropical zones of the Northern Hemisphere (1). These plants, like many species, disperse their seeds autonomously through ballistic seed ejection (2). Yet, unlike typical ballistic dispersers that rely on pod explosion to release all seeds at once (3–6), the seed pods of Viola eject seeds one after another at substantial time intervals—averaging 5.6 min between ejections in Viola philippica. This unusual mode of seed dispersal is driven by the gradual pinching deformation of the pod valve (movie S1), whose presumed function lies in delivering a reliable propulsive force to each seed. …