Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: seed

(+10 insets!) (please view large for even more details!) Woo hoo! Saturday Self-Challenge is here!! The theme is “any subject beginning with the letter "S." I actually had plans to take more pictures of different ideas I had but unfortunately I ran out of time. Why? Well, Steve and I are getting our RV trailer ready to go and one thing we must do first is have some practice campouts right here on our property. This is taking a lot of time and energy to prepare for. (You may have also noticed that I haven't had time to comment, I'm so sorry!) On top of that, our washer decided it wouldn't drain anymore so Steve had to figure out how to repair it. I was there to assist him and the great news is that it's fixed! Guess what was clogging the drain? A lens cloth!! ROFLMAO, and Steve guessed it from the start. You should have seen his face when he pulled it out and showed it to me. LOL, his smirk was too funny. We are really excited because today we're pretending to be driving to a campsite and at dinner time, we'll bring our dinner and cook it over there. It will be our first meal in our RV, we can't wait! Then we'll watch travel videos on our tv in the bedroom and finally, we'll bring Pumpkin (our parrot) and our dog Molly over and sleep overnight! We'll take showers in the morning and then have bacon and eggs like usual for breakfast! It is going to be awesome! :) For my submissions today I'm posting lots of SEEDS , a SPIDER , a STAR in a STAR , SCREWS and SPICES ! My main picture is a seed from an avocado, and you'll see another one in an inset. The other seed pictures are flax, bird seed, wheatberries in black and white, and black oil sunflower seeds. The spice is red pepper flakes and as crazy as it sounds, I chomp up 1/2 teaspoon every morning! :D The spider is a tiny crab spider on a daffodil and the star-within-a-star is an elegant goundstongue flower (you will also see that the inner star is formed from a circle of white hearts!) Pam, I went to your stream to look for subjects that start with the letter "S" and I picked out your SKIPPER on SUNFLOWER picture, which counts for TWO S'S! HOORAY!! :D It's a great shot and wonderful timing for us to see its ridiculously long proboscis probing for goodies! :) I hope you had a good day my dear! *BIG HUGS* from southern Oregon! Explored on 3/31/19, highest placement, #2.

Ok, I admit it. I'm hopelessly silly...one of the things I like to do is apply fun names to things that I find. For instance, let's take Maple seeds. Don't they look like a strange sort of bat to you? OF COURSE YOU AGREE WITH ME!! :D So naturally, the proper name is Maple Bat. This tree was brimming with them! Now, since these Maple Bats aren't quite mature enough to fly away, they are fledglings! I see you approaching with a straight jacket but don't worry, I'm not totally insane, I promise! I merely have a thriving and imaginative inner child who loves to help out with anything goofy! :) I captured these a couple of years ago on a lovely spring day.

What a delight to find a sight like this! Looking around in one of our meadows, I happened to see a seed from a Redstem Stork's Bill that had sprung from its seed capsule and landed on some wild grass. Here it was, suspended for now, until a strong breeze jostles it free to tumble to the ground. There it will hopefully find purchase and sprout the following spring! Explored on March 29, 2016. Highest placement #44.

This morning I was looking for some pretty subjects to photograph, when I found this lovely little corkscrew just waiting for me! Just 1/4" in length, I nearly missed seeing this little guy, sitting in position on a bed of moss. When conditions are just right--humidity & moisture, temperature, and length of day--this seed will pop open and its root will gravitate downwards. The corkscrew shape will help to secure it into the moss! I wonder what it will grow into!!! This image was taken in February, 2012.

Thanks to Leapfrog (Art), I know this samara came from an Ash tree, though I didn't see the tree. I'll have to go back and examine all the trees in that area so I can find it! I saw it land here but when I looked up, I could only see trees that couldn't have dropped it--Oaks and Madrones. I am very interested to take a closer look! :) This kind of seed dispersal shape is called a "samara". which holds a seed and forms a "wing" to help carry it away from the parent tree. From Wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samara_(fruit) A samara is a type of fruit in which a flattened wing of fibrous, papery tissue develops from the ovary wall. A samara is a simple dry fruit and indehiscent (not opening along a seam). It is a winged achene. The shape of a samara enables the wind to carry the seed farther away than regular seeds from the parent tree: The seed can be in the centre of the wing, as in the elms (genus Ulmus), the hoptree (Ptelea trifoliata), and the bushwillows (genus Combretum). The seed can be on one side, with the wing extending to the other side, making the seed autorotate as it falls, as in the maples (genus Acer) and ashes (genus Fraxinus). A samara is sometimes called a key and is often referred to as a whirlybird, helicopter, whirligig, polynose, or, in the north of England, a spinning jenny. During the autumn months, they are a popular source of amusement for children who enjoy tossing them in the air and watching them spin to the ground. Some species that normally produce double samaras, such as Acer pseudoplatanus, can also produce a few multi-lobed samaras with 3 or 4 seeds.

2 more pictures in notes above! Today's heart-shaped seed pod is dedicated to a dear friend of mine, Pam J . She and I are both excited about growing plants from seeds, and because we live in places where it is very hot and dry during the summer, we are sharing seeds with each other in the hopes that we'll have good luck this way! It's been wonderful getting to know her, and a joy to visit her photo stream too. We even have similar luck with butterflies, lol! Take a look at her lovely Grey Hairstreak ! I hope that you'll take a peek at her pictures too. Pam is so nice and has a heart of gold! I am so happy that we met! :) Khalil Gibran (January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931) was a Lebanese artist, poet, and writer. He is chiefly known in the English-speaking world for his 1923 book The Prophet, an early example of inspirational fiction including a series of philosophical essays written in poetic English prose. The book sold well despite a cool critical reception, gaining popularity in the 1930s and again especially in the 1960s counterculture. Gibran is the third best-selling poet of all time, behind Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu. Wikipedia: Khalil Gibran Explored on August 25, 2013. Highest placement, page 2.

I liked the way this pair was about the fly away, only stuck at the top! Behind in bokeh you can see the remaining half of a pod that's already opened and released its seeds.

3 images above in a note! I found these Milkweed seeds bursting out of their pod and just about to fly away. I thought it would be fun to share these two pictures with you so you can see what happens after the flowers fade! :)

A few months ago, Steve and I went to visit a friend our ours who lives on a lovely piece of property on the edge of Oregon and California. She and her husband have an amazing garden and landscaping, and I have had the opportunity to spend two afternoons taking pictures there. Down by one of their Koi ponds are a few of these interesting trees which are simply COVERED with seed pods. I was fascinated by their shape and awesome textures, and wondered if I would be able to capture the glow of one with the sun's rays shining through it. To my immense delight, I was successful, and in fact, its possible to see the seeds inside!!

... To create grand visual moments out of small and simple things, and to infuse big and complicated subjects with unpretentious elegance. She respects classic disciplines, while at the same time insists on being fast, modern and wild." ~ Amyn Nasser (My apologies, the entire quote doesn't fit but it was fitting, so I decided it would be ok to break it.) 1 more picture in the notes above! This morning I was looking at my little garden and at one point I turned my head towards the sun...and my breath was taken away from me! A lemon tarweed plant was glowing warmly in the sunlight and I just stared in awe. Its flowers were long gone and was now covered with husks full of seeds. Every seed head shimmered as the light hit the tiny, sticky resin balls that covered this plant, and caused it to glow. I spent the next 10 minutes taking pictures, so overjoyed that the day had finally come to give this plant a place in my 365 project! :) Amyn Nasser, from Zanzibar is a self-taught visualist, shooting fashion, beauty, celebrities, advertising, nudes and fine art since 1981. Through the years Amyn's camera has taken memorable pictures of beautiful women, celebrities and personalities, including high political figures, athletes and movie stars. Fine Art America: Amyn Nasser Explored on June 30, 2013. Highest position, page 2 (#37).

Here you can see the seed head where the achenes are seated. When the seeds are ripe, the seed head will stretch downwards, loosening the hold of the achenes and allowing them to be carried away by the wind. If you would like to see a microscopic view of dandilions and the achenes, seeds, and more, please visit this wonderful and fascinating page! A Close-up View of the Wildflower "Dandelion"

These glowing, golden parachutes (pappus) are specially modified parts of a flower called "sepals." They are able to catch the lightest breeze and lift up into the air, carrying the seed as far as a mile or more away from the parent plant! No wonder we find dandilions (and goatsbeard) everywhere! :D Explored on June 28. Highest position, page 2 (#50).

Here you can see the stalk of a goatsbeard parachute. The thick, barbed area is called an "achene" and inside is where you will find the actual seed. Did you know that strawberry "seeds" are actually achenes? The seeds are inside this outer husk! To find out more about achenes, Wiki has a very good page here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achene

Goatsbeard flowers look quite different than dandilions, but they create the same "parachute balls", except that they are much larger and can be 3" or more in diameter! The seeds form inside an "achene" on a stalk which has the "parachute" or "pappus" at the top. The parachutes catch the wind and can be carried for miles before dropping to the ground!

4 more pictures can be found in notes above! :) You can also find me on Facebook ! Doing a 365 Project has been one of the most rewarding challenges I've ever attempted, but it has its frustrating points too. For instance, I can only pick ONE main picture for each day (collages aren't the same thing!), and sometimes I'm very lucky and manage to get several star-performers. It can be really maddening, and though I can choose to share those pictures that day also, the Picture of the Day will always diminish the other images. ARGH! :D Today is my Goatsbeard Seed exhibit, with my Picture of the Day and FOUR star performers from another day. ( This is the picture that made the pick that day and it included a series of its own! ) I decided that in order to get these pictures the attention they deserve, I would find another goatsbeard for my Picture of the Day and show all my pictures then. And so, I present to you, Goatsbeard Seed Day! :D I hope you enjoy them! :) (There are 4 other pictures following this one!) Joseph Addison (1 May 1672 – 17 June 1719) was an English essayist, poet, playwright and politician. He was the eldest son of reverend Lancelot Addison. His name is usually remembered alongside that of his long-standing friend, Richard Steele, with whom he founded The Spectator magazine. Wikipedia: Joseph Addison Explored on June 28. Highest position, page 2 (#36).

Aren't these neat looking? Behind my father's house is Mt. Davidson, which was planted with thousands of Eucalyptus trees many years ago. The trees drop these nuts all over the place and these two fell from a tree, rolled off the mountain and onto the sidewalk, where I found them for this picture! :) This image was taken during my trip to San Francisco during September 12-15, 2011.

Winner of FlickrDuel contest: +10 Wins: Flora This image was taken during my trip to San Francisco during September 12-15, 2011.