EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

Winged Seeds of the Congo

Bushwillow (Combretum sp.), Family Combretaceae
Salonga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo

Explanation:  This very large seed has ... wings!

But that's not unusual.  Other, more familiar plants can also sport wings.  A common example is maple seeds.  Seeds with wings are known as samaras.  And the purpose of the wings?  Well, it is to help the seed fly.  Or, more properly, to glide and disperse, on the wind.  Remember the old adage, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree?  Well, wings help seeds to fall further from the tree, so they can sprout and take root and not compete with their parent source.  

But this seed is of a bushwillow, and the type genus Combretum consists of an amazing 272 species mostly found in central and southern Africa.  

I discovered this one in the remote heart of the Congo River Basin, in dense jungle habitat with signs of elephants and poachers.  

Studies have suggested that bushwillow seeds have some of the largest dispersal structures, their wings ... but some of the poorest dispersal ability, that is, they just don't fall far from the tree as they tumble.  And yes, their winged structure gives the seeds the name tumbler.  

Some bushwillows provide important medical findings, such as having antioxidants.