Seed Dispersal
Seed dispersal refers to the processes by which mature seeds disperse from the parent plant. Dispersal decreases competition with the parent and increases the likelihood of finding a suitable environment for growth. Sexual reproduction generally results in the production of fruits whose sole purpose is to enable the species to disperse and multiply. The part of the plant that acts in the dispersal is the diaspore (a term incorporating both fruit and seed). Although diaspore dispersal is the obvious end of reproduction, some plants rarely flower or set fruit and instead have evolved a very efficient system of vegetative reproduction by means of sucker shoots. Vegetative reproduction is very common in herbaceous plants that may spread by stolons, bulbils, or stem suckering. Still, most plants that reproduce vegetatively also reproduce sexually since this enables them to remain genetically variable and more adaptable to changes in the environment.
Wind Dispersal
The simplest form of seed dispersal is by wind and, not surprisingly, wind-dispersed fruits in temperate areas usually develop in breezy spring months. The same species that are wind-pollinated in temperate areas often bear wind-dispersed seed such as maple (Acer in Aceraceae), willow and poplar (Salix and Populus in Salicaceae), and ash (Fraxinus in Oleaceae).Typically the wind-dispersed seeds are developed quickly and dispersed in the same season.
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