Jewelweed is an annual, meaning it lives only for one year and comes back from the seeds the next year. The seeds grow in pods, which expand in size, building up pressure – until they explode when touched. This is why they are also called touch-me-nots.
Violets, poisonous squirting cucumbers, and touch-me-nots or Impatiens capensis (not to be confused with these touch-me-nots) have an effective way of dispersing their seeds: They burst!
Some plants have pods that explode when ripe and shoot out the seeds. Pea and bean plants also keep their seeds in a pod. When the seeds are ripe and the pod has dried, the pod bursts open and the peas and beans are scattered. The seeds of balsam and lady's finger are dispersed in this manner.
The Chinese witch hazel can shoot its seeds up to 18 meters
You don't want to be in front of the Chinese witch hazel when its fruit bursts open. The plant—long known for its anti-inflammatory properties—can fire seeds at more than 12 meters per second, and with the force of a bullet fired from a 19th century gun.
Some may also think of dandelions as those white puffballs whose seeds you can blow away like a candle on a birthday cake. The puffball is also considered a dandelion — it's what the yellow flower matures into after a few days. But these aren't especially good to eat.
sensitive plant, (Mimosa pudica), also called humble plant, plant in the pea family (Fabaceae) that responds to touch and other stimulation by rapidly closing its leaves and drooping.
Jewelweed is an annual, meaning it lives only for one year and comes back from the seeds the next year. The seeds grow in pods, which expand in size, building up pressure – until they explode when touched. This is why they are also called touch-me-nots.
Balloon flower gets its common name from the unopened flower buds which resemble hot air balloons. Children love to grow this plant for the balloon-like buds which pop when squeezed. The name "Platycodon" means "flat bell", which aptly describes the opened flowers.
Dandelion blowing may be about as close to a universal experience as there is. Kids and adults alike delight in huffing the white fluffy seeds from a dried sample of Taraxacum officinale, and watching them fly away. But as with all things in nature, it only happens that way because it works.
Some of the names of the plant such as popping pod, duppy gun and cracker plant come from the fact that children like to play with the dry pods that pop when rubbed with spit or water. Ruellia tuberosa may be found in moist and shady environments.
Seed Dispersal by Explosions
Okra, Lupins, gorse, and broom are a few examples of plants whose seeds are dispersed by Explosions. Pea and bean plants also have pods and the seeds burst out when they ripen and pod has dried.
Some plants like castor have fruits that burst with sudden jerks and scatter the seeds. Hence the statement is correct. This is, in fact, a form of seed dispersal in such plants.
When it comes to drama, you really can't go wrong with a monstera deliciosa. These plants are known for long, narrow holes in their huge, heart-shaped leaves.
The mimosa pudica plant looks like any other irksome weed — until you touch it. That's when it earns its multiple nicknames (the Sensitive plant, the Sleepy plant, and the Shame plant, to name a few) as it curls into itself, like a real-life shrinking violet.
Buzz Buttons… Nature's Pop rocks. This flower contain a grassy, citrus-like flavor with mild astringency. When consumed, the flowers release an active compound that gives the mouth a numbing, tingling sensation and stimulates the salivary glands inducing a natural cooling effect.
Alliums. These flowers are actually part of the same family of plants as onions, scallions, leeks and garlic. However, there are many cultivars that are used for decoration. Due to the unique way that they grow, when the flowers emerge they look like fireworks exploding in the night sky.
The name physocarpa comes from the Greek physa meaning bladder and karpos, fruit, referring to the inflated, bladder-like fruits. It has a plethora of common names including balloon plant, balloon cotton-bush, balloon milkweed, bishop's balls, elephant balls, hairy balls, monkey balls, swan plant, and many others.
What they are likely to be are a common type of fungi called saprophytic fungi. That's not a pathogenic or harmful fungi. Those little white, fuzzy balls are likely just fungal hyphae and the fuzziness around the spheres are the roots of the hyphae.
Often remembered from childhood, goose grass or sticky willy has clinging hairs on its leaves, stem and seeds which stick to your clothes. It's an annual and easy removed but also easily spreads with its self sown seedlings. Can grow up to 4ft high.
A creeping, prostrate, woody herb that is invasive on all the main Hawaiian Islands. Native Central and South America, Mimosa Pudica, commonly called sensitive plant or sleeping grass, is a nuisance in most tropical places.
The striking purple leaves stand out amongst green indoor plants and it's also photophilic, which mean that the leaves open and close in response to light in a process called nystinasty. At night the leaves fold down and during the day they will open up.
Plants that open and close their leaves or flowers when day changes to night are called nyctinastic plants.
Thus the Lotus turns out to be the queenliest of flowers. As Toru Dutt describes; 'And Flora gave the lotus, “rose-red” dyed, / And “lily-white,”—the queenliest flower that blows. '
Calliandra haematocephala is a fast growing shrub that can grow tall but also spreads wide. If desired it can be kept smaller by trimming. Interesting enough the leaves close at night. The red powder puff flower are attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds but only appear from November -April.