Seed Mucilage Promotes Dispersal of Plantago asiatica Seeds by Facilitating Attachment to Shoes

Nanako Abe, Kohei Koyama, Azumi Okamoto, Kowa Katayama, Yura Kato, Natsuki Mimura, Shoji Okoshi and Yuki Tanaka
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Nanako Abe: Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Agro-Environmental Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inadacho, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan
Kohei Koyama: Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Agro-Environmental Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inadacho, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan
Azumi Okamoto: Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Agro-Environmental Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inadacho, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan
Kowa Katayama: Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Agro-Environmental Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inadacho, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan
Yura Kato: Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Agro-Environmental Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inadacho, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan
Natsuki Mimura: Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Agro-Environmental Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inadacho, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan
Shoji Okoshi: Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Agro-Environmental Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inadacho, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan
Yuki Tanaka: Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Agro-Environmental Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inadacho, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-10

Abstract: Understanding the mechanisms underlying seed dispersal is a fundamental issue in plant ecology and vegetation management. Several species demonstrate myxospermy, a phenomenon where the seeds form mucilage after absorbing water. Mucilage is thought to act as a glue, enabling seeds to attach to the external surfaces of dispersing agents. However, there have been no quantitative investigations of the efficacy of this function of seed mucilage. We performed a trampling and walking experiment to investigate the seed dispersal of a perennial herb, Asian plantain ( Plantago asiatica L.), which forms polysaccharide mucilage upon hydration. Our experiment showed that: (1) after trampling, more seeds of P. asiatica attached to shoes in wet conditions (after rainfall), in which seed mucilage was created, than in dry conditions (no rainfall); and (2) after walking for 1000 m, more seeds remained attached to shoes in wet conditions than in dry conditions. Our results indicate that mucilage promotes the adherence of seeds to the surface of vectors. We therefore provide the first empirical evidence that seed mucilage facilitates epizoochory and human-mediated dispersal.

Keywords: seed dispersal; human-mediated dispersal; anthropochory; animal dispersal; epizoochory; mucilage; myxospermy; myxodiaspory; weed; urban ecology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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