28 9 / 2011
![sciencecenter:
New species of plant buries its own seeds
A botanist has discovered a new species of plant in eastern Brazil whose branches bend down upon bearing fruit and deposit seeds on the ground, often burying them in a covering of soft soil or moss. This trick is an example of geocarpy, a rare adaptation to survival in harsh or short-lived environments with small favorable patches. The adaptation ensures seedlings germinate near their parents, helping them stay within the choice spots or microclimates in which they thrive. One well-known practitioner of geocarpy is the peanut, which also buries its fruit in the soil. […]
The team dubbed it Spigelia genuflexa, named after the act of genuflection, or kneeling to the ground.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ls3ld4OZDX1qgfmcuo1_400.jpg)
New species of plant buries its own seeds
A botanist has discovered a new species of plant in eastern Brazil whose branches bend down upon bearing fruit and deposit seeds on the ground, often burying them in a covering of soft soil or moss. This trick is an example of geocarpy, a rare adaptation to survival in harsh or short-lived environments with small favorable patches. The adaptation ensures seedlings germinate near their parents, helping them stay within the choice spots or microclimates in which they thrive. One well-known practitioner of geocarpy is the peanut, which also buries its fruit in the soil. […]
The team dubbed it Spigelia genuflexa, named after the act of genuflection, or kneeling to the ground.
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