Word: Samara

 

samara

¹

[ sam-er-uh, suh-mair-uh ]

noun

Botany.

1. an indehiscent, usually one-seeded, winged fruit, as of the elm or maple.

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It was the perfect day for a hike. The sun was out, but it wasn’t too hot. The perfect temperature, the end of summer and beginning of fall. The leaves had not yet started to change, but there was a cooling breeze in the air. 

Mary led her daughter, Cassie, through a well-used hiking trail. She took a deep breath, savoring the crisp air. It was not something she got much of. Cassie ran around, looking at every plant, rock and root she could. Given where they lived, all this nature was new to the child, and she took it all in with the fascination only a six-year-old could muster. 

“Mommy, what’s this?” Cassie asked, running up to Mary.  

In her hand was a small maple seed. She held it up to her mother with curious eyes. 

“That’s a seed, sweety. It’s from one of these big trees.” 

“It’s a tree? But it’s so little.” 

“Trees don’t start off as big as these.” Mary said, going to one of the tall plants. “They start out really teeny tiny and spend a long time growing. Even longer than you will.” 

“But how come it looks so funny?” 

“Throw it up and see how it comes down.” 

Cassie did just that. The seed spun through the air as it fell. The girl watched and a big smile came to her face. She raced along the ground, collecting more of the seeds. When she had a handful, she tossed them all up at once at watched as they spun. Cassie giggled as she ran to get more. 

“They’re like helicopters, right?” Mary asked. 

“Uh-huh.” Cassie said, tossing another batch into the air. 

“Seeds come in all shapes and sizes, and each one is a different way of traveling. Plants like trees have to spread out, right? So, they do a lot of things. Some get animals to help them move. Others are so tiny that the wind can carry them. These spin around, which helps them fall slower. That way, they can travel farther away from the tree.” 

“Really? So can I take some? I can plant them and that’ll make a bunch of new trees at home, right?” 

“Oh sweety, I wish we could. We don’t have enough room for a big tree like one of these.” Mary said. Her daughter looked crestfallen. “But you can take a few seeds and play with them while we’re here, okay?” 

“Okay.” Cassie said, looking at the ground.  

“Sorry, sweety.” Then she got an idea. “Maybe you can take one and put it in a small cup with dirt, and then the next time we visit grandma and grandpa, you can plant it in their yard. They have a lot of space for trees to grow.” Plus, it would help her mother work her green thumb with something that could survive if she forgot a few things. 

“Really?” Cassie immediately brightened up. 

“Yup. Now go get a few good ones to take.” 

Cassie ran around, gathering seeds and looking at them. Mary had no idea what the girl was looking for, but Cassie chose some and discarded others. As she watched her daughter, Mary couldn’t help but smile. This really was the perfect day. 

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Remember playing with these guys? I do. They were great fun as a kid. I had no idea they were seeds though.