The prairie grasses Andropogon gerardii and Sorghastrum nutans have seeds with awns that twist in response to changes in humidity. The humidity-sensitive, or hygroscopic, part of the awn twists, moving the bent, passive portion in an arc. This trait has been demonstrated to improve seedling recruitment in other grass species by dispersing the seeds to superior microsites.

Last modified

• 11/08/2023

Creator

• Drizin, Joshua Michael

DOI

• https://doi.org/10.21985/N28W9C

Subject

• plant biology

Publisher

• Northwestern University Libraries

Language

• English

Keyword

• plant biology

Date created

• 2013-05-16

Resource type

• Masters Thesis

Rights statement

• In Copyright

License

• All rights reserved