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How do streamside Asteraceae plants use water to disperse achenes?
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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.
Streamside species within the Asteraceae family utilize water for seed dispersal primarily through buoyancy. These achenes are capable of floating on the water's surface, which allows them to be transported by currents until they eventually become waterlogged and settle in a new location.1
Additionally, while some Asteraceae species are transported by water during their seedling stage, such as Aster tripolium, other plants in wet habitats may rely on indirect water-related dispersal, such as having their achenes carried in mud that adheres to the feet of migrating waterfowl.213