Format: ORAL

Drisya V.V.1, C. Pramod1,2, A.K. Pradeep2 T.P. Suresh3

1 Department of Botany, Government Brennen College, Dharmadam P.O., Thalassery, Kerala 670 106, India 2 Department of Botany, University of Calicut, Calicut University P.O., Kerala 673 635, India 3 Department of Physics, Government Brennen College, Dharmadam P.O., Thalassery, Kerala 670 106, India

Plants are excellent source of inspiration for design innovation as they are already figured out what works to spread over the planet and provide numerous examples of stable design and specialized functionality that are worth to study (Pandolfi Izzo, 2013). One amazing demonstration of intelligent behaviorof plants for wind dispersal is the production of autorotating diaspores. Dispersal units, such as fruits, seeds, and other structures which constantly rotate in the air during dispersal basically due to aerodynamic forces for moving away from the parent plant to establish the progeny as an independent sapling are known as autorotating diaspores. Based on the morphology and type of rotation during the fall, three types of autorotating diaspores are identified: autogyros, rolling autogyros, and helicopters (Augspurger, 1986). In a study conducted on the winged diaspores of the flowering plants of South India, a total of about 120 species (55 autogyros, 24 helicopters, 41 rolling autogyros) were recorded, which produce autorotating diaspores with well-defined morphological adaptations. Macromorphological, micromorphological, developmental, anatomical, flight behavioural, and aerodynamic studies of a subset of diaspores from each category show that each of them varies in its origin, pattern of development, and configuration of the wings, which account for the variation in the overall morphology and eventually the dispersal potential. The autorotating diaspores of the flowering plants of South India display a variety of morphology and design for the efficient mechanism of dispersal; also effective as natural inspiration for design innovation. The present paper aims to provide a better understanding of the morphology, geometry, underlying mechanisms of flight, specificity of the direction of rotation, and biomimetic application of the autorotating diaspores of flowering plants of south India.