How do seeds get dispersed by water?

Some seeds of fruits are dispersed by water. Fruits dispersed by water usually float and are carried along rivers, streams or at sea. Example: coconut,  lotus plant,  mangrove

The above picture shows the fruit of a  coconut. Other fruits dispersed by water include the water lily, lotus, sea-almond and mangrove.

 

In order for seeds to grow at a suitable place, they must be scattered. Why is that so?

—–When the seeds grow too closely together, overcrowding might occur. So, the young plants may not get enough   water, minerals and sunlight to grow well. So the seeds get scattered.

—–The scattering of seeds or fruits is called dispersal. Plants that grow near or in water usually disperse their fruits or seeds by water. The fruits and seeds are able to float on water as they have special structures such as a  fibrous husk or air filled spaces.

How does it take place?

The seeds of plants whose seeds get dispersed in water often have, waterproof coverings or fibrous husks to help them float in water.The fibrous husk traps the air and enables the fruit to float on water.

They may produce light seeds which float, or there may be fluff that helps buoyancy.Plants which grow beside water often rely on water to transport their seeds for them.

The water lily is an example of such a plant. Their flowers make a seeds that floats in the water for a while and then drops down to the bottom to take root on the floor of the pond.

The seeds of palm trees can also be dispersed by water. If they grow near oceans, the seeds can be transported by ocean currents over long distances, allowing the seeds to be dispersed as far as other continents.