Presenting, the class of 2018′s seed superlatives! Now that it’s officially spring,
Presenting, the class of 2018′s seed superlatives! Now that it’s officially spring, we couldn’t help but imagine how some seeds would fare in a hypothetical yearbook.Castor oil seeds contain ricin, and a dose the size of a few grains of table salt is enough to kill an adult human. The toxin must be destroyed through a heating process while extracting the oil from the seeds. Despite the dangers, humans continue to cast castor oil in many roles—from starring as adhesives, lubricants, soaps, and laxatives.Nestled inside a special pod, the seeds of the Himalayan Balsam might seem unsuspecting and docile—but they can be a bit touchy. Just the slightest brush of your hand can cause the seeds to burst and disperse across a wide area. In fact, in some cases the seeds can fly 23 feet away from the plant.The seed of the Coco de Mer (literally the “sea coconut”) goes by many local nicknames: the love nut, double coconut, coco-fesse, or coconut-bottom, and, fittingly, the bum nut.The spiky and sticky seed of the Uncarina tree, a succulent shrub in the savannahs of Madagascar, truly is “best dressed.” The end of each spike on the seed coat is embellished with a strong hook that helps the fruit (and the seed inside) hitch a ride on animal fur and feet. View all of the seed-purlatives here! -- source link
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