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Exploding Cucumber

tau255 1y ago
A plant with similarly exploding feature is Impatiens parviflora [1]. It is quite easy to spot in the wild in Europe. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impatiens_parviflora https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impatiens_parviflora
- franciscop 1y ago
  I found details of the Impatiens Parviflora and its exploding properties on the Spanish Wikipedia. But digging deeper, it seems the general term for exploding seeds is "Ballocoria" (Latin), only found in a sub-section: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dispersi%C3%B3n_de_los_prop%C3%A1gulos#Dispersi%C3%B3n_bal%C3%ADstica https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dispersi%C3%B3n_de_los_prop%C3... https://grok.com/share/bGVnYWN5LWNvcHk%3D_e1c522fa-64ae-4864-a427-20166760bcc8 https://grok.com/share/bGVnYWN5LWNvcHk%3D_e1c522fa-64ae-4864...
  - tau255 1y ago
    I have found some footage of the seedpod exploding [1]. It seems that Impatiens parviflora is invasive species that propagated from botanical gardens in Europe. One research [2] states it can shoot seed up to 3.4 meters. [1] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QUzag5u7Pi0 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QUzag5u7Pi0 [2] über Impatiens parviflora Dc. als Agriophyt in mitteleuropa, L Trepl - 1984
- flowerthoughts 1y ago
  > Impatiens parviflora (small balsam, or small-flowered touch-me-not) I love how that Wikipedia article never mentions why it's called "touch-me-not." If you don't already know why, it's simply not to be touched.
  - fragmede 1y ago
    Good idea! I added a sentence explaining where the name comes from to the Wikipedia article.
    - cafeinux 1y ago
      And I removed what I can only think was a typo in your sentence :-). >The name comes from the ~~seeds~~ fact that ripe seed pods explode when touched to disperse seeds widely.
    - flowerthoughts 1y ago
      Oh, chuck, now it's just a normal Wikipedia article. ;) Thanks for the edit.
tetris11 1y ago
Oh I've seen Ecballium Elaterium ("squirting cucmber") in Cyprus. They're everywhere and just flicking a stone at one can cause a chain reaction in others. Not edible AFAIK https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecballium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecballium
- kcplate 1y ago
  As a kid during a brief stint living outside of Athens, we found them all over. It was fun to try and squirt your friends.
  - tetris11 1y ago
    Same! Got into many battles that way. Problem of course being that the plant is so unpredictable that you end up spraying yourself than your actual target ;-)
    - kcplate 1y ago
      Yes, the backfire added to the fun.
mitchbob 1y ago
Reminds me of wisteria pods. When I was growing up, we had a wisteria, trained to grow like a small tree, several feet from our living room window. In the winter, the pods would twist and explode, and the large seeds would hit the window hard. I'm still surprised the window never broke!

A plant with similarly exploding feature is Impatiens parviflora [1]. It is quite easy to spot in the wild in Europe. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impatiens_parviflora https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impatiens_parviflora

franciscop 1y ago
I found details of the Impatiens Parviflora and its exploding properties on the Spanish Wikipedia. But digging deeper, it seems the general term for exploding seeds is "Ballocoria" (Latin), only found in a sub-section: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dispersi%C3%B3n_de_los_prop%C3%A1gulos#Dispersi%C3%B3n_bal%C3%ADstica https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dispersi%C3%B3n_de_los_prop%C3... https://grok.com/share/bGVnYWN5LWNvcHk%3D_e1c522fa-64ae-4864-a427-20166760bcc8 https://grok.com/share/bGVnYWN5LWNvcHk%3D_e1c522fa-64ae-4864...
- tau255 1y ago
  I have found some footage of the seedpod exploding [1]. It seems that Impatiens parviflora is invasive species that propagated from botanical gardens in Europe. One research [2] states it can shoot seed up to 3.4 meters. [1] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QUzag5u7Pi0 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QUzag5u7Pi0 [2] über Impatiens parviflora Dc. als Agriophyt in mitteleuropa, L Trepl - 1984
flowerthoughts 1y ago
> Impatiens parviflora (small balsam, or small-flowered touch-me-not) I love how that Wikipedia article never mentions why it's called "touch-me-not." If you don't already know why, it's simply not to be touched.
- fragmede 1y ago
  Good idea! I added a sentence explaining where the name comes from to the Wikipedia article.
  - cafeinux 1y ago
    And I removed what I can only think was a typo in your sentence :-). >The name comes from the ~~seeds~~ fact that ripe seed pods explode when touched to disperse seeds widely.
  - flowerthoughts 1y ago
    Oh, chuck, now it's just a normal Wikipedia article. ;) Thanks for the edit.

tetris11 1y ago

Oh I've seen Ecballium Elaterium ("squirting cucmber") in Cyprus. They're everywhere and just flicking a stone at one can cause a chain reaction in others. Not edible AFAIK https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecballium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecballium

kcplate 1y ago
As a kid during a brief stint living outside of Athens, we found them all over. It was fun to try and squirt your friends.
- tetris11 1y ago
  Same! Got into many battles that way. Problem of course being that the plant is so unpredictable that you end up spraying yourself than your actual target ;-)
  - kcplate 1y ago
    Yes, the backfire added to the fun.

mitchbob 1y ago

Reminds me of wisteria pods. When I was growing up, we had a wisteria, trained to grow like a small tree, several feet from our living room window. In the winter, the pods would twist and explode, and the large seeds would hit the window hard. I'm still surprised the window never broke!