Аннотация:Strobe photographs were taken of over 200 spinning samaras from seven species of trees. These were used to measure the rate of descent, angular velocity, orientation, and other parameters of the samaras as they fell. These data were then used to compare the aerodynamic behavior of samaras, helicopters, and theoretical ideal rotors. Plotting morphological data for each samara against its rate of descent showed that this rate was highly correlated with the square root of the samara's wing loading (samara weight divided by wing‐surface area). This plot demonstrated the existence of two distinct groups of samaras, distinguished by their morphology, spinning motion, and rate of descent. These results are of greatest use in characterizing local dispersal patterns.
