diaspore

plant reproductive body

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Last updated

June 25, 2026

Quick Summary

A diaspore is a unit of dispersal for plants, which can be a seed or a fruit. These diaspores are spread by various agents, including wind (anemochory), water (hydrochory), and animals (zoochory). Different types of animal dispersal exist, such as dispersal by birds (ornithochory) or ants (myrmecochory). Some plants have developed mechanisms for self-dispersal, like forcibly ejecting seeds or using explosive fruit capsules. Water dispersal is common for plants in aquatic or coastal environments, with seeds often having buoyant or air-filled structures. Wind dispersal is prevalent in pioneer vegetation, with diaspores adapted as flyers, dust, balloons, or plumed/winged structures.123

It is important to note that "diaspore" also refers to a mineral composed of aluminum hydrogen oxide.45

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seed
Angiosperm seeds
…together as “dispersal units,” or diaspores. More often, however, the seeds are discrete units attached to the placenta on the inside of the fruit wall through a stalk, or funiculus.
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…together as “dispersal units,” or diaspores. More often, however, the seeds are discrete units attached to the placenta on the inside of the fruit wall through a stalk, or funiculus.
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fruit
Dispersal
…together as “dispersal units,” or diaspores. For further discussion on seed and diaspore dispersal, see seed dispersal.
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…together as “dispersal units,” or diaspores. For further discussion on seed and diaspore dispersal, see seed dispersal.
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