Seeds and Seed pods 2 [Dried Flowers] & Fruit

Seeds And Seed Pods 2 [Dried Flowers] & Fruit

The papery beauty of Heal-All in early spring. Dauphin County, Pa. 3-24-23 [Prunella vulgaris]

That part of Spotted Bee Balm showing the receptacles that once held their wonderful tropical looking flowers, beautiful in their own right, these individual "tubes" have strips and are guarded by five points at the opening, looking like stars. Dauphin County, Pa. 2-21-23 [Monarda punctata]

Indian Tobacco seed capsules still holding on [Lobelia inflata]. Dauphin County, Pa. 2-27-23. I love taking pictures of the seed capsules of Indian Tobacco, they are an truly one of natures amazing designs. looking much like a balloon supported by ribs, they can survive all winter. I like the way this capsule seems almost transparent, with the sunlight, lighting up the inside. Notice too the skin of the capsule, you can see the intricate veining much like that of a fallen leaf.

Dogbane Seed Pods, fruit. Dauphin County, Pa. 1-30-23. Notice they still have not opened and released their seeds as of late January. I have seen Dogbane release seeds in the fall or not until spring.

Last years dried flower head of Spotted Bee Balm [Monarda punctata]. Dauphin County, Pa. 1-26-23. Showing the empty receptacles that once held the flowers. Notice that they are striped and have five points at the top of each column, looking much like a five pointed star.

Seed Pods from Partridge Pea [Chamaecrista fasciculata]. Dauphin County, Pa. 1-31-23

Wild Grape in winter. Dauphin County, Pa. 2-2-23 [Vitis]

Common Milkweed Seed Pods [Asclepias syriaca]. Dauphin County, Pa. 1-26-23

Tall Goldenrod in fruit [seed]. Dauphin County, Pa. 11-30-22 & 1-26-23 [Solidago altissima]. The picture on the left from last fall shows a Goldenrod full of seeds, the fuzzy looking white area are called the pappus, which are attached to each individual seeds [located inside the achene or fruit] and act like tiny little parachutes helping the seeds to disperse on the wind. On the right is the same plant two months later, and as you can see the winter winds and the pappus have done their work and very few seeds remain.

Beard Tongue in winter [Penstemon]. Dauphin County, Pa. 1-26-23

The fruit [seeds] of White Avens [Geum canadense]. Dauphin County, Pa. 1-26-23. Notice the hooked fruits, snagging passersby.

Large Whorled Pogonia seed pod in snow. Dauphin County, Pa. 1-23-23. After releasing thousands of tiny seeds this single orchid seed pod still stands out, like a beacon on a snowy cold day. [Isotria verticillata]. It is amazing to think that this one seed pod is a reflection of the energy from sun, rain, and a good growing season that was stored in this plants roots [bulb] from the previous year [2021], enabling this one plant to produce a inflorescence [flower] in 2022, and after being pollinated, this one lone seed pod. I have found that for every dozen plants from this particular orchid only a few might have the energy to produce a flower, and of these very few if any are pollinated correctly enough to produce a seed pod. The life cycle of the Large Whorled Pogonia, and many other plants can be hard to say the least. I think this is why I have such admiration, respect and love of plants.

Scarlet Oak acorn [Quercus coccinea]. Dauphin County, Pa. 1-10-23

American Pennyroyal [Hedeoma pulegioides]. A comparison between flowering in August and January's dried Calyxes [that hold the inflorescence [flowers]. Notice in the winter [and summer] picture that calyxes are 5 toothed and 2 lower teeth are covered in tiny spikes or hairs, making the lower teeth look like formidable weapons. What is the function of these hairs are I cannot say, but you can be sure that in nature, there is a reason! This is one of my favorite tiny wildflowers, summer or winter, and is an annual, coming up from seed every year. Dauphin County, Pa. 1-10-23

On the shortest day of the year I was struck by the last rays of the setting sun coming through a lone seed pod of a Large Whorled Pogonia orchid making it look as though the pod was a glowing candle. This image on a stark winters day was one of my favorites from last year, it seemed to give hope on a deep dark winters day. [Isotria verticillata]. Dauphin County, Pa. 12-21-22

Downy Rattlesnake Orchid [Goodyera pubescens] seed pods in winter. Dauphin County, Pa. 12-22-22

Downy Rattlesnake Orchid [Goodyera pubescens] in winter. Dauphin County, Pa. 12-22-22

Virgin Bower Clematis [Clematis virginiana] in seed. Dauphin County, Pa. 12-22-22

Silver-rod, White Goldenrod [Solidago bicolor] in seed. Tioga County, Pa. 12-8-22. With Beech leaves in the background.

Tall Goldenrod in fruit [seed]. Tioga County, Pa. 12-8-22 [Solidago altissima]

The wonderful warm browns of Tall Goldenrod in fruit [seed]. Tioga County, Pa. 12-8-22 [Solidago altissima]

Partridge Berry [Mitchella repens]. Tioga County, Pa. 12-10-22

Close up of the pappus on Goldenrod [Solidago], each pappus, the circular hair like filaments, are attached to achene which contain a single seed. The pappus help to disperse the seed on the wind, just waiting for that right gust to propel them into the air. Tioga County, Pa. 12-8-22

Swamp Milkweed [Asclepias incarnata]. Tioga County, Pa. 12-9-22

Bluestem Goldenrod [Solidago caesia] in seed. Tioga County, Pa. 12-8-22

Eastern Spicy-Wintergreen, Teaberry (Gaultheria procumbens] Tioga County, Pa. 12-9-22

Tall Goldenrod in fruit [seed]. Tioga County, Pa. 12-8-22 [Solidago altissima]

This picture shows the "achene" of Goldenrod [Solidago] which are held inside the receptacle. Inside each "achene" is a single seed, the tiny hairs in a circle around the top are called "pappus",they in turn help the seed to disperse on the wind. Tioga County, Pa. 12-9-22. Natures design and engineering at its finest, through eons of time and evolution providing a way for plants to spread and disperse their seeds and thus continue their species.

The woody seed capsules of Common Witch Hazel. it takes two years for these to develop and on warm fall days the seeds are ejected from the capsules up to 40 feet. Notice the capsule on the left has already expelled its seeds. It takes two years for these seeds to then germinate. Dauphin County, Pa. 11-3-22 [Hamamelist virginiana]

Dogbane in seed [Apocynum cannabinum]. Dauphin County, Pa.11-3-22

The beauty of Indian Tobacco dried fruit [seed capsules]. Dauphin County. 11-11-22 [Lobelia inflata]. I am always fascinated by the intricacy and complexities that I see in nature. For instance on the left you can see a dried "balloon" like seed capsule with its outer "skin" intact and on the right the skeleton, taken a few weeks later, shows the tiny filaments that supported the outer "skin" and kept it in place. These filaments looking for all the world like modern engineering showing the skeleton frame of a modern football stadium dome, before the outside "skin" is put on. If you look closely at where the parallel filaments meet at the top you can see they are secured to round filament that circles the top holding the entire basket or balloon structure in place. As humans a feat such as this would be considered incredible, for the plant world, this amazing engineering, it is just another day of perfection that we don't even notice or recognize. Just take a minute to look, like me you will be in state wonder and admiration.

Seed from Butterfly Weed [Asclepias tuberosa]. Schuylkill County, Pa. 10-16-22

Butterfly Weed in seed [Asclepias tuberosa]. Schuylkill County, Pa. 10-16-22

Common Milkweed in seed [Asclepias syriaca]. Dauphin County, Pa. 10-22-22

Dogbane in seed [Apocynum cannabinum]. Dauphin County, Pa. 10-16-22

Chestnut Oak Acorn caps [Quercus montana]. Dauphin County, Pa. 10-7-22

Spreading Dogbane seeds [Apocynum androsaemifolium]. Dauphin County, Pa. 3-2-22

Spreading Dogbane seed ready for the wind. [Apocynum androsaemifolium]. Dauphin County, Pa. 3-2-22

Beautiful seeds from our native clematis Virgin Bower [Clematis virginiana]. Dauphin County, Pa. 2-15-22

Spreading Dogbane still holding on to it's seeds [Apocynum androsaemifolium]. Dauphin County, Pa. 2-15-22

The setting sun seems to make this Common Milkweed pod and seeds look they are glowing. [ Asclepias syriaca]. Dauphin County, Pa. 2-15-22. The seeds were immature and under developed and never dispersed last fall.

Ice on Whorled Mountain Mint [Pynanthemum verticillatum]. Dauphin County, Pa. 2-10-22

All that is left now of Indian Tobacco are the ghostly seed pods from last fall [Lobelia inflata], but they are still elegant. Dauphin County, Pa. 2-5-22

Tall Goldenrod [Solidago altissima] in seed on a cold January Day. Dauphin County, Pa. 1-22-22

The warm colors of Tall Goldenrod [Solidago altissima] in seed on a cold January Day. Dauphin County, Pa. 1-22-22

Snow on Wild Bergamot [Monarda fistulosa]. Dauphin County, Pa. 1-27-22

Dried flowers [the receptacles] of Rabbit Tobacco [Psuedognaphalium obtusifolium]. These flowers in summer are a white tubular shape. "When crushed, the plant exudes a characteristic maple syrup scent." The plant in summer has an overall white papery appearance. Dauphin County, Pa. 1-27-22.

This is that part of the Goldenrod [Solidado] plant called the receptacle. It holds the individual flowers and later the seeds of the plant, these picture show the receptacle empty after the seeds have all dispersed. If you look close at the receptacle head you can see the perfect indentations where each individual seed or achene was held. For years I was mistaken and thought I was looking at a dried flower from possibly Fleabane. I think these receptacles are beautiful in the stark winter landscape, and a reminder of warmer summer days. Dauphin County, Pa. 1-14-22.

Roundleaf Greenbrier vine and its fruit [Smilax rotundifolia]. Dauphin County , Pa. 1-14-22

Tall Goldenrod [Solidago altissima] in seed. Dauphin County, Pa. 1-15-22

Bluestem Goldenrod in seed. Tioga County, Pa. 12-17-21

An individual seed of from Bluestem Goldenrod [Solidago caesia]. Tioga County, Pa. 12-17-21.

An individual seed of from Bluestem Goldenrod [Solidago caesia]. Tioga County, Pa. 12-17-21. The pappus [the feathery filaments] help the seed, which is inside the fruit or achene, disperse on the wind.

These are that part of the seeds of a Bluestem Goldenrod [Solidago cvaesia] called the pappus [the filaments extending out from the center to form a circle]. They, the pappi, act in the same way Milkweed or Dandelion seeds do in helping the seeds disperse on the wind. Underneath the pappus you can see an individual seed enclosed in a fruit called the achene which is attached to each pappus. A marvel of nature's evolution to help seeds disperse and thus ensure the plants continued survival. Tioga County, Pa. 12-16-21

Nature's designs, the skeletal remains of a seed pod from Indian Tobacco [Lobelia inflata]. Dauphin County, Pa. 12-3-21

The skeletal remains of a seed pod from Indian Tobacco [Lobelia inflata]. Dauphin County, Pa. 12-3-21

Tall Goldenrod [Solidago altissima] in seed. Dauphin County, Pa. 12-3-21

Indian Tobacco [Lobelia inflata], dried seed pods. Dauphin County, Pa. 12-3-21

The dried stalks of American Pennyroyal [Hedeoma pulegioides], in December. Its hard to mistake this plant anywhere as it really stands out from all other plants. An annual in the mint family, it still smells wonderful! My favorite tiny little plant, always a pleasure to see! Dauphin County, Pa. 12-3-21

Indian Tobacco seed pods in December [Lobelia inflata]. Dauphin County, Pa. 12-1-21. The growing season has long since past, the heat, the bugs, the drought, and all the other struggles that this tiny plant has faced. All that is left now are these pods, a reminder of earlier days. The pods are now empty of their seeds, but they have a beauty all there own on a stark cold winters day. I thank God that I can still see it.

Wild Raisin [Viburnum cassinoides]. A wonderful bush for birds and wildlife. Schuylkill county, Pa. 10-2-21

Butterfly Weed in seed [Asclepias tuberosa]. Schuylkill County, Pa. 9-24-21

Bog Cranberries [Vaccinium oxycoccos]. Tioga County, Pa. 9-6-21

Canada Mayflower in fruit [Maianthemum canadense]. Coos County, N.H. 7-14-21

Bunchberry in fruit [Cornus canadensis]. Coos County, N.H. 7-14-21

Blue Bead lily [Clintonia borealis] in fruit. Coos County, N.H. 7-14-21

Flaxleaf Aster [Lonactis linariifolius] in winter.Dauphin County,Pa.1-29-21.

Seed pods in winter,Indian Tobacco [Lobelia inflata].Dauphin County,Pa.1-29-21

One of my favorite wildflowers anytime of the year,but especially in winter,where it always stands out from all other plants.It has a wonderful mint smell,even in winter.The tiny American Pennyroyal [Hedeoma pulegioides].Dauphin County,Pa.1-29-21.

Seed pods in winter,Indian Tobacco [Lobelia inflata].Dauphin County,Pa.1-29-21

Tall Goldenrod [Solidago altissima].Tioga County,Pa.12-13-20

These are that part of the seeds of a Goldenrod [Solidago] called the pappus [the filaments extending out from the center to form a circle].They,the pappi,act in the same way Milkweed or Dandelion seeds do in helping the seeds disperse on the wind.Underneath the pappus you can see an individual seed [in what is known as the achene] attached to each pappus.A marvel of nature's evolution to help seeds disperse and thus ensure the plants continued survival.

Dried flowers and seeds,including Goldenrod [solidago] and Indian Tobacco [Lobelia inflata].Tioga County,Pa. 12-12-20

Dried White Wood Aster in winter [Eurybia divaricata].Tioga County,Pa.12-12-20

The seeds of a Goldenrod [Solidago].Tioga County,Pa.12-12-20.

Goldenrod in seed [Solidago].Tioga County,Pa.12-11-20

Silver- rod,White Goldenrod [Solidago bicolor] in seed.Tioga County,Pa.12-11-20