A plant that launches its seeds

Seed ejection filmed at 10,000 fps, shown 400 times slower — Dominic Vella / University of Manchester research release; twelve-second excerpt.

Squirting cucumber fruit, leaves and flowers on the parent plant — University of Manchester research press image.

This plant fires its seeds up to 10 metres away.

The squirting cucumber builds pressure inside its fruit, then launches seeds in a jet of fluid. The release takes about 30 milliseconds.

Slow motion reveals a tiny botanical catapult.

Seed ejection filmed at 10,000 fps, shown 400 times slower — Dominic Vella / University of Manchester research release; twelve-second excerpt.
https://askpandi.com/media/editorial/curiosity-batch-two-2026-10-02/2015f95780031e49-cucumber-launch.gif
Squirting cucumber fruit, leaves and flowers on the parent plant — University of Manchester research press image.
https://askpandi.com/media/editorial/curiosity-batch-two-2026-10-02/df19f1a3fba46898-cucumber-plant.jpg

A plant that launches its seeds

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