Squirting Cucumbers' Explosive Reproductive Strategy

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fascinating little cucumber

CNN

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Science

Scientists solve centuries-old mystery of how a cucumber explosively squirts its seeds

Summary

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85% Informative

Squirting cucumbers blast their seeds over distances hundreds of times their length.

When ripe, the hairy green fruit measures about 1.6 inches ( 4 centimeters ) long.

As it drops from a stem, it launches a fountain of seeds and sticky liquid at a velocity of around 45 miles per hour ( 20 meters per second) Researchers used high-speed video, time-lapse photography, CT scans and digital 3D reconstructions to analyze cucumbers before and after a squirt.

Squirting from this angle, rather than straight up, is a better strategy for the plant, scientists say.

The scientists also saw that the stem gave the fruit a spin as it detached, by shrinking away from the fruit.

Their models showed that this spin would disperse the seeds in a wider arc.

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informal

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English

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