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Self-burial Mechanics of Hygroscopically Responsive Awnsopen access

Authors
Jung, WonjongKim, WonjungKim, Ho-Young
Issue Date
Dec-2014
Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC
Citation
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY, v.54, no.6, pp 1034 - 1042
Pages
9
Journal Title
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
Volume
54
Number
6
Start Page
1034
End Page
1042
URI
https://scholarworks.bwise.kr/gachon/handle/2020.sw.gachon/87347
DOI
10.1093/icb/icu026
ISSN
1540-7063
1557-7023
Abstract
We present the results of a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of the mechanics of self-burial of some plant seeds whose morphologies respond to environmental changes in humidity. The seeds of Erodium and Pelargonium have hygroscopically responsive awns that play a critical role in their self-burial into soil. The awn, coiled in a dry state, uncoils to stretch linearly under highly humid condition because of a tilted arrangement of cellulose microfibrils in one of the layers of the awn's bilayered structure. By measuring the mechanical characteristics of the awns of Pelargonium carnosum, we find that the extensional force of the awn can be aptly modeled by the theory of elasticity for a coiled spring. We further show that although the resistance to the seed-head penetrating relatively coarse soils without spinning is large enough to block the digging seed, the rotation of the seed greatly reduces the soil's resistance down to a level the awn can easily overcome. Our mechanical analysis reveals that the self-burial of the seed is a sophisticated outcome of the helically coiled configuration of the awn.
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Jung, Wonjong
Engineering (Department of Mechanical, Smart and Industrial Engineering (Smart Factory Major))
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