Dispersal of Musk Thistle (<i>Carduus nutans</i>) Seeds

Abstract

Dispersal studies of musk thistle ( Carduus nutans L = C. thoermeri Weinmann) seeds by wind were performed to determine the percentage of seeds removed from the vicinity of the plant where the seeds originated. For the different wind velocities tested (up to 5.6 m/s) less than 1% of the seeds were blown further than 100 m. Most seeds were deposited within 50 m of the point of release. A Gaussian model of seed dispersal based on experimentally determined parameters and published data adequately described these results.