This seed dispersal mechanism allows Yellow Jewelweed to colonize disturbed areas quite well. Once they are ripe, the seed pods look swollen and will eventually explode, sending the seeds up to 2m away from the parental plant to help spread growth of new plants! Free. Sections of this page. Friends for the Abbott Marshlands The Friends for the Abbott Marshlands are a grassroots organization of volunteers dedicated to enhancing appreciation and protection of the Abbott Marshlands. Sign up for our free notifications of new articles! Jewelweed seeds are ripening! I've long known that jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) aka "touch-me-not" does ballistic seed dispersal--probably giving it its other common name. See, plants can be cool! Jewelweed Nature Study. They are quite small, perhaps a ¼ to ½ inch in length. Sandburs are native to warm sandy areas of North America, North Africa, Asia, Europe, and the South Pacific. When they first form on plants, oval-shaped capsules are slim, but their centers bulge as the seeds inside them mature. Press alt + / to open this menu. Plant seeds can be dispersed in a number of different ways. The common name jewelweed probably refers to the way water beads up on its leaves. Jewelweed seed. What makes the jewelweed plant so special? Watch jewelweed pop! Would you like to see a video? The plants can be used for forage when young, but they later form rounded sharp-spined burs that Uh we'll be able to see the seeds on we'll get you close up of one. Look closely and locate the plump seed pods hanging down. Jump to. ; Abbott Marshlands Council Many different entities, both public and private, are property owners of land encompassed by the Abbott Marshlands. Hayashi et al 2009 jewelweed seed dispersal.pdf The mechanics of explosive seed dispersal in orange jewelweed (Impatiens capensis).pdf Available via license: CC BY-NC 2.0 With just a touch, the jewelweed catapults its seeds out for dispersal! Common Jewelweed seeds grow in inch-long pods that are longer than they are wide. Ruby-throateds to be more precise. Seed Dispersal What does disperse mean? Impatiens glandulifera scattering its seeds. Grass River Natural Area. Poof! The Right Flowers in Your Inbox! Here is a link: Jewelweed Pods Exploding. Each seed pod will have three to five seeds in it. This leads to wide dispersal of seeds that can often germinate, and consequently a vast amount of jewelweed plants may appear. The high lipid content of the seeds (52% of dry mass, Nozzolillo and Thie, 1984) lowers their density, increasing buoyancy. However, I have seen it grow in full sun too, and full shade. Jewelweeds, also known as touch-me-not, have a unique strategy to spread their seeds. Expressed over an area of 1 ha, the total amount of time required to control purple jewelweed is 1,400 work hours over 2 yr, or a minimum investment of Can$21,000 (US$17,000). The species name glandulifera comes from the Latin words glándula meaning 'small gland', and ferre meaning 'to bear', referring to the plant's glands. Facebook. Sign Up . Jewelweed is also known as spotted touch-me-not – spotted because the flowers have dark spots on them and touch-me-not because if you touch the ripe seed pods, the seeds will fly out at high speed up to a metre distant. Jewelweed’s ballistic seed dispersal mechanism in action: The five outer valves of the seedpod rapidly coil, the columella collapses, and the seeds are launched; all in a split second. The seed pods have five valves which coil back rapidly to eject the seeds in a process called explosive dehiscence. Enjoy this slo-mo version to see how it works! This plant is also known as “spotted touch-me-not”, because it expels its seeds rather explosively when anyone so much as touches them. Ornamental jewelweed refers to its cultivation as an ornamental plant. Here is a link to a paper on the mechanics of jewelweed’s explosive seed dispersal. It's jewelweed (aka touch-me-not) seed popping season! Distribution. Unfortunately low-density seeds make poor projectiles in comparison with the small, dense seeds … Seed dispersal. Although controlling a well-established purple jewelweed population is expensive, to properly evaluate the benefits, we must also consider the costs of soil erosion caused by this species. It is called Touch Me Not, not because is shouldn't be touched, but by what happens when you touch the seed pod. This reaction is where the name 'touch-me-not' comes from; in mature seed pods, dehiscence can easily be triggered with a light touch. Jewelweed seed capsules resemble those of other impatiens species. Seed Dispersal Seeds produced in insect pollinated flowers can be forcefully ejected up to two meters away from the parental plant. Long-distance seed movements in jewelweed are achieved using secondary dispersal via water (Trewick and Wade, 1986; Perrins et al., 1993; Tabak and von Wettberg, 2008). The genus name Impatiens, meaning "impatient", refers to its method of seed dispersal. Once established, a patch of jewelweed will maintain itself through annual seed production. The jewelweed uses a unique type of dispersal, called expulsion, that “explodes” when under pressure or disturbed, sending the seeds inside flying away from the plant, later to germinate. I discovered this plant is a Jewelweed or a Touch Me Not plant. The seed pods expand in size, building up pressure over time. What a cool seed dispersal mechanism, eh!? Read more. But it isn’t jewelweed’s soothing gel or exploding seed capsules that have been distracting me lately. Jewelweed is also known as spotted touch-me-not – spotted because the flowers have dark spots on them and touch-me-not because if you touch the ripe seed pods, the seeds will fly out at high speed up to a metre distant. It’s the hummingbirds. Yellow Jewelweed has a shallow taproot that branches out a bit. Mature seed pods explosively eject the seeds when lightly touched, which is where the name touch-me-not comes from. Some seeds are transported by wind, and have seeds designed to float, glide or spin through the air. Popularly known as “touch-me-not,” jewelweed plants bear pods full of seeds, which explode at the slightest contact. Activity - The children are given images of different seeds. This is an amusing and fun way to teach kids about this exciting plant while assisting with seed dispersal. Seeds. It is a great plant that has value. The high lipid content of the seeds (52% of dry mass, Nozzolillo and Thie, 1984) lowers their density, increasing buoyancy. This video was slowed down to 0.125x original speed since things are happening so fast once the capsule splits. Use the lesson in the Handbook of Nature Study (Lesson 134) and the Outdoor Hour Challenge in the Autumn Ebook to … A hint is found in its other common name, touch-me-not. Kids love to help with the seed dispersal of jewelweed, and having the capsule twist in between your fingers is pretty cool, actually. Accessibility Help. How to Identify Jewelweed Photo by Wendell Smith via Flickr creative commons. We never share your email address . Jewelweed Seeds. Long-distance seed movements in jewelweed are achieved using secondary dispersal via water (Trewick and Wade, 1986; Perrins et al., 1993; Tabak and von Wettberg, 2008). Watch in slow-motion as the seed pod rapidly recoils to shoot the seeds up to 5 feet away from the parent plant. All it takes is a gentle touch of your finger or an animal moving among the plants to help spread those seeds far and wide! I take that back because the plate is also known as touch me and so you don't want to touch the seed or explodes and that's how it reproduces and throws here and there several feet away. Physical disturbance of the seed pods such as by the touch of a passing animal can stimulate the sudden ejection of the seeds. ppt, 876 KB. Here is a seed pod to the left of the flower. Many plants are dependent on outside help to ensure that their offspring flourish. Growing Conditions for Yellow Jewelweed. Loading... Save for later . In early to mid-September, find a wet area that has plenty of jewelweed growing. The seeds come with a little tiny package that is the touch. Preview and details Files included (4) pptx, 4 MB. Sandbur, (genus Cenchrus), genus of about 20 to 25 species of grasses in the family Poaceae. They must work in groups to discuss the questions and figure out which method(s) the seed uses to disperse. Other members of the sunflower family have adapted for alternative dispersal methods. Description. They will explode when touched (hence their other common name "Touch-me-not"), shooting their seeds far from the mother plant. Play media. Unfortunately low-density seeds make poor projectiles in comparison with the small, dense seeds … But I'd never paid enough attention to look for the plant when it had fruit. Email or Phone: Password: Forgot account? Explosive Seed Dispersal Playing with Jewelweed seed capsules! This is a powerpoint to use when teaching seed dispersal (Unit 5C Life Cycles). The thistle members of the sunflower family have adapted small, light, helicopter-like seeds that can easily be dispersed by wind. In many areas of the country grows a little plant that has remarkable medicinal qualities: jewelweed. This fascinating manner of seed dispersal is called “ballistichory”, referring to the way in which the seeds act as projectiles. Root. The capsule walls are a combination of cells under high turgor pressure combined with … Kids (and grown ups) love to pinch the ripe seed pods and make them pop. I had no idea. Violets enlist the aid of ants and slugs to carry away their seeds and release them where they can grow. Jewelweed can be used to fill in empty spaces in the garden that might otherwise be taken over by non-native weeds. It can be made into a salve or a tincture to treat poison ivy, nettles and bug bites. Why do plants need to disperse their seeds? On a walk around Ponkapoag Pond during the annual August stay at our AMC Ponkapoag cabin, I finally took a look. The four types of seed dispersal are through expulsion, animal dispersal (such as flower ovary consumption), wind (dandelions), and water (coconuts). The jewelweed releases its seed pods with the gentlest nudge, such as the feather-light touch of a hovering hummingbird. It's jewelweed (aka touch-me-not) seed popping season! Jewelweed can be propagated easily by direct sowing of fresh seed in early fall. Yellow Jewelweed will grow best in part sun and moist conditions, in soil that is rich in organic matter. About. After dispersal, seeds must wait to germinate for favorable conditions, which will be spring. What a cool seed dispersal mechanism, eh!? This is a really unique means of seed dispersal! Images of different seeds. It happens so fast, so it's hard to see. Through the action of plant hormones, the seeds become dormant, a state that inhibits growth. Some maintain, however, that this designation refers to the plant’s robin-egg blue seeds.