ancient gourd (Lagenaria)

[Garry Williams]

"Larry Elmore" <ljelmore at montana.campus.mci.net> wrote:

>I know studies have shown that gourds can last quite a long time in sea
>water, but weren't these tests conducted in tanks of seawater? There's any
>number of animals in the sea that might find the gourd a tasty meal, like
>the teredo worm loves wood, I think. Has anyone done studies on gourds
>actually at sea? Considering some of the truly asinine projects that have

Sounds like a reasonable question, and one that we need answered.

>been funded by the government over the years, maybe a well-written grant
>proposal could get funding for the dispersal of a million or so tagged
>gourds off the African coast while numbers of us spend the next year or so
>anxiously cruising the famous beaches of South America and the Caribbean
>islands for successful ocean-crossing gourds.... :)

I'll volunteer! Free margaritas, too? 

>Of course, once the gourd got across, I'm not at all sure how it would get
>to a suitable place to germinate. The beach doesn't seem too inviting from
>the gourd's point of view. Perhaps carried by a swallow? European or
>African?
>

That depends on your favorite color, and what is the capital of
Assyria, anyways?  ;-)

Seriously though, a good storm might carry it inland to a suitable
spot, don't you think? Or perhaps a bird or other animal might find it
on the beach and eat it or the seeds, then take a crap further inland
leaving the seeds in organically fertilized soil. Any other
possibilities, or reasons why these two suggestions might not be
sound?


--
Garry Williams
 gdwill at earthlink.net or
 gdwill at william.salzo.cary.nc.us