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How can waterfowl spread the achenes of wetland Asteraceae plants?
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Asteraceae
The flowering head of a sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is formed of yellow, petal-like ray flowers and a brown center of minute disk flowers.
In the context of the Asteraceae plant family, the achenes of species that grow in wet environments can be spread by migrating waterfowl when the fruits become embedded in the mud that sticks to the birds' feet. This method of dispersal is a form of epizoochory, where seeds or fruits are accidentally transported on the exterior of an animal.123