Fig 13. Swelling coiling catapult mechanism in the mulberry Morus alba.

(A) One of the four filaments with attached anther in the flower bud of M. alba. (B) The pressurized filament grows and bends, storing elastic energy as deformation is obstructed by the fine thread connections and the pistillode. (C) Slight drying of the anther tears the thread connections. (D) The anther is catapulted in an approximately circular arch driven by the stored elastic energy of the filament while releasing the pollen. Drawings are based on schematic drawings in [74]. Scale bar 2 μm.