The Influence of Seed-Dispersal Mechanisms on the Dispersion of Anastatica Hierochuntica (Cruciferae) in the Negev Desert, Israel

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Abstract
The annual plant A. hierochuntica L. has 2 contrasting dispersal strategies in the Negev Desert: dispersal on the spot and dispersal to a distance. The former results in regeneration in the close vicinity of the parent plant, and the latter in regeneration further away from the parental sites. The dry, hardened, and curled-up skeletons of the dead parent plants serve to protect the seeds, which are released gradually. Dispersal on the spot is achieved by opening of the skeletons after rainfall, followed by detachment of the seeds by falling raindrops. Dispersal to a distance occurs only when runoff carries floating and sunken seeds downstream in the wadis and runnels. The numbers of plants derived from seeds falling close to the parent and from seeds dispersed to a distance in a particular area and year will be dependent upon the balance between rainfall and runoff. The role of seed-eating rodents and birds in the dispersal of A. hierochuntica is discussed.

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