Dandelion seed. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a seed from a dandelion flower (Taraxacum officinale). The seed is at lower right, while the pappus (upper left) aids in the wind dispersal of the seed. A seed contains an embryo (a fertilised ovule from which a new plant can grow), and a supply of food. Seed shapes and surface textures vary widely, affecting how they are dispersed from their parent plant. Seed dispersal methods include being carried by the wind, or water or on animal coats, or being eaten and deposited in animal droppings. Dandelions are native to Europe and Asia, and are widespread in other areas as well.