Nature Photo Challenge #25: Seedheads

This week Denzil asks us to post photos of seedheads.

One of the most interesting native trees we have is Hercules’ Club, also called Toothache Tree.  If you chew on any part of it, your mouth will get numb.  I have not tried it myself but I know people who have, and they attest to this fact. 🙂

Hercules’ Club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis) is native here — you can see how popular it is with native insects by how eaten up it is!

Hercules’ Club — a very large clump of seeds for such a slender plant.

Sedge seed heads, July 2013.

Durban Crowsfoot grass, which is native to Africa, but considered invasive here.

I believe this is a Bristle Thistle.

The thistle head close up.

We have three species of Primrose-Willow (Ludwigia) here, and they have interesting seedheads, that remain on the plant for months.

Ludwigia alternifolia when it is still green.

When it has turned brown, it would look beautiful in dried arrangements.

A Green Lynx spider makes use of the long tubular seedhead of Ludwigia leptocarpa to anchor her egg case.

Not the best picture but it shows how the seeds of leptocarpa are stacked inside the case.

Shorter, stockier seedhead of Ludwigia glandulosa.

The stalks and seedheads of Ludwigia glandulosa provide structure for spider webs.

Seedheads framed in spider webs.

I know I have more pictures of seedheads and pods around here, and I will find them sometime after I post this!  In the meantime, I will be looking at the other participants in the challenge to see what they are sharing this week.

Category : plants
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