Hydrochory - Dispersal of Seeds

Plants that grow in or along the bank of water bodies often utilize water as an agency for dissemination of fruits and seeds. Coconut, Cocos nucifera is an excellent example of a fruit which has spread to different continents because of its ability to float over hundreds or even thousands of kilometers.

The fruit has a smooth, waterproof exocarp, followed by a fibrous and air-filled mesocarp and a hard endocarp. The seed with a thin seed coat retains its viability for more than three months. During this period the fruit can travel as long as 4300 km. Seeds of lotus and some cypresses have air-filled cortical tissues.