Jaculators (hook shaped retinacula found within fruits) are modified structures of funicle (i.e. seed stalk). These jaculators, due to the hygrochastic property of fruits, act like 'triggers' in pistols and expell the seeds with lot of force (and sound!) to maximum distance possible. A characteristic seed dispersal mechanism in the subfamily Acanthoideae of family Acanthaceae.
It is helpful espl when the plants grow near water (for e.g. Ruellia tuberosa, the pic posted here), the mother plant tries to 'sow' her seeds in a suitable soil (not in water), so she expells the seeds to longer distance possible with full energy by using this unique & effective adoptation. With regards Vijayasankar On Sat, Sep 11, 2010 at 11:51 AM, Pankaj Kumar <[email protected]>wrote: > Seeds having Jaculators is one of the unique features common to almost > all Acanthaceae members. > Regards > Pankaj > > > On Sat, Sep 11, 2010 at 7:59 PM, tanay bose <[email protected]> wrote: > > Ruellia tuberosa, > > Yes it seed haveJaculators > > Tanay > > > > On Sat, Sep 11, 2010 at 2:34 PM, Shantanu <[email protected]> wrote: > >> > >> Thanks for the ID Sweta ji. > >> Nice informations about the seeds of this plant. > >> > >> cheers! > >> Shantanu : ) > >> > >> Shantanu Bhattacharya. > >> B.Sc, M.Sc (Zoology) > >> University of Calcutta. > >> Teaching Faculty. > >> Dept. of Biology. > >> Vivekananda Mission School(ICSE). > >> Joka. Kolkata. > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> On Sep 11, 11:27 am, Bhatt Sweta <[email protected]> wrote: > >> > Seems to be *Ruellia*, belonging to *Acanthaceae* family. > >> > Interesting thing about seeds of this plant - when the dry seeds are > >> > dropped > >> > into water, they crackle just like Rye in hot oil. This is due to > >> > specialised structures called *Jaculators* present in them. > >> > > >> > Regards, > >> > > >> > Shweta > >> > > >> > On Sat, Sep 11, 2010 at 11:40 AM, Shantanu Bhattacharya > >> > <[email protected]>wrote: > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > Hi > >> > > got this nice mauve flower growing beside a canal in my locality > >> > > (Kolkata). > >> > > Can someone give the name of the species? > >> > > >> > > regards > >> > > Shantanu :) > >> > > >> > > Shantanu Bhattacharya. > >> > > B.Sc, M.Sc (Zoology) > >> > > University of Calcutta. > >> > > Teaching Faculty. > >> > > Dept. of Biology. > >> > > Vivekananda Mission School(ICSE). > >> > > Joka. Kolkata.- Hide quoted text - > >> > > >> > - Show quoted text - > > > > > > -- > > Tanay Bose > > Research Assistant & Teaching Assistant. > > Department of Botany. > > University of British Columbia . > > 3529-6270 University Blvd. > > Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z4 (Canada) > > Phone: 778-323-4036 (Mobile) > > 604-822-2019 (Lab) > > [email protected] > > > > > > > > -- > *********************************************** > "TAXONOMISTS GETTING EXTINCT AND SPECIES DATA DEFICIENT !!" > > > Pankaj Kumar Ph.D. (Orchidaceae) > Research Associate > Greater Kailash Sacred Landscape Project > Department of Habitat Ecology > Wildlife Institute of India > Post Box # 18 > Dehradun - 248001, India >
