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Spore Dispersal with Elater Structures
One form of spore dispersal, commonly seen in liverwort plants, involves structures called elaters that form near the spores. Elaters are made from dead cells and hold a relatively high volume of water when they are first formed. When the air is dry, water evaporates and the elaters shrink. This causes spring tension to build. Eventually the tension becomes too great and the elaters spring back into shape. This recoil motion happens with enough speed and force to eject the spores.
Moss Spore Dispersal
Most moss species disperse spores in a relatively passive manner by releasing them gradually. In moss, spores are stored in a capsule closed off by a peristome with tooth-like extensions. Dispersal happens when the structures near the moss̵7;s spore capsules, namely the calyptra and the operculum, become desiccated by dry weather and fall off. Once these structures are gone, the peristome teeth holding in the spores begin to splay open and drop the spores into the wind.
Ballistospore Discharges
Most fungi release spores in remarkably powerful ejections called ballistispore discharges. According to Anne Pringle, these discharges involve some of the fastest cellular motions in nature. Ballistospores are stored in a part of the fungus called an ascus. The ascus collects ions that act as osmolytes, drawing water in through osmosis at pressures up to 1540 Pascals. Eventually this pressure causes the ascus to burst open, causing the spores to accelerate 12000 Gs or more.
Passive Methods of Spore Dispersal
Some spores are spread through relatively passive methods. Many ferns allocate the spores to parts of the plant that maximize their exposure to the wind, allowing the spores to be lifted away. Stinkhorns are mushrooms that produce a foul smell that attracts insects, which spread the spores in a way similar to pollination. Puffballs, another mushroom, have a springy tissue that ejects spores when raindrops fall on them.