Alsomitra Explained

Alsomitra is a genus of the plant family Cucurbitaceae (the cucumber, squash, and pumpkin family).

The seeds of Alsomitra macrocarpa are among the largest winged seeds in the plant kingdom and their shape inspired a number of aviation pioneers.^{[1] [2]}

Selected species

• Alsomitra angulata
• Alsomitra angustipetala
• Alsomitra balansae
• Alsomitra beccariana
• Alsomitra brasiliensis
• Alsomitra capricornica
• Alsomitra macrocarpa - Javan cucumber

External links

• Wind dispersal of seeds
• Alsomitra macrocarpa seed
• Andres, T. C. 2004. Web site for the plant family Cucurbitaceae & home of The Cucurbit Network.
• KBD: Kew Bibliographic Databases of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
• Tabogok - PressReader
• Species list
• BBC - Vine seeds become 'giant gliders'

Notes and References

1. http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/etrich.html The seed of an idea
2. http://aerostories.free.fr/constructeurs/horten/page2.html Horten; Two brothers, one wing