Caption
Seeds of Common storksbill (Erodium cicutarium), Europe. In dry conditions, the ripe seeds are ejected from the fruit. The seed tails are formed from the persisting style which consists of hygroscopic (water-absorbing) fibres. The tail is curled like a corkscrew in dry conditions and unwinds when damp. Driven by this motion, the seeds "crawl" over the ground, bore into soil or hook into mammal fur. The seeds can be used as simple hygrometers to measure humidity.
Availability
Only inBelgium, Canada, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland