Table 2.
Dispersal syndromes and characteristics of diaspores and number of species, genera, and families with each syndrome.
| Dispersal syndrome | Secondary dispersal syndrome | Fruit type of storage material | Fruit or seed trait relevant to dispersal |
Number of species |
Number of genera |
Number of families |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoochory | Endozoochory | Berry, drupe, storage material (sugars, starches, lipids, or proteins), or capsule | Edible aril or pulp | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Epizoochory | Hook-like or sticky substance capsule | Adherence structure | 11 | 10 | 5 | |
|
| ||||||
| Anemochory | Capsule, pod, and winged nut; dust seed (<0.01 mg); hairy; and pappus | Easily dispersal by wind | 25 | 17 | 7 | |
|
| ||||||
| Autochory | Explosive capsule | Ballistic | 7 | 5 | 2 | |
|
| ||||||
| Barochory | None | Seed dispersal via gravity | 15 | 8 | 4 | |
|
| ||||||
| Ombrohydrochory | Mucilage | Seed produces mucilage when wetted | 11 | 8 | 3 | |