A review on morphology and adaptative significance of trypanophorous diaspore
植物锥形繁殖体结构及其适应

Trypanophorous diaspores are characterized by combining a hygroscopic awn and a sharply pointed tip at its base. The hygroscopic movement of the awn causes the pointed tip to penetrate into the soil and hairs presenting on the diaspores prevent them from recoiling from the soil when awn untwists again. Through the process, seeds buried themselves into the soil to a certain depth and it is defined as drilling effect of seed or diaspore. The drilling effect is the main advantage of trypanophorous diaspore. In this paper, ecological functions of structures associated with trypanophorous diaspore are summarized briefly, with emphasis on the drilling effect. Various structures on the diaspores should not only be interpreted as adaptations for dispersal, but also as controls at other stages in plant life history. The structures may serve for finishing seed after-ripening and seed burial, enhancing seed germination and seedling establishment. Trypanophorous diaspores also can avoid damage by fire and escape predation by granivores owing to having an effective self-burial mechanism. Thus, studies on the diaspore play an important role in understanding the adaptations of diaspore structure to environment conditions and provide theoretical evidences for the management of ecosystems.