Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: burrs

Common Burdock (Arctium minus) is an invasive weed, but I always find the prickly burs attractive. This macro shot was taken on 2 September 2013, in the Boat Launch area in Fish Creek Park. "The prickly heads of these plants (burrs) are noted for easily catching on to fur and clothing (being the inspiration for Velcro), thus providing an excellent mechanism for seed dispersal." From Wikipedia.

Yay - I finally have Internet again!!! Was without it yesterday evening and night up till maybe 20 minutes ago (it's about 10:45 a.m. now). After my continuous computer problems the last 3+ weeks, I was beginning to think that this was yet another one, ha! I don't need any more stress!!! In the end, after trying the usual things, I phoned Shaw and found a recorded message saying that they were experiencing technical difficulties. I was so relieved - though it still made for a "strange" evening and night having no access to the Net. So, instead, I sat for hours and backed up more of my photo folders, really concerned and feeling more and more convinced that there was something deep-seatedly wrong with my computer - and now, this morning, I can barely lift my arms upwards. Looks like I will be living in my pjs and going with hair uncombed for the rest of the day, ha! Remember what life was like before the invention of computers, lol?? Does anyone have a spare day of relaxation that they would be willing to donate to a worthy cause (i.e. "moi")? Oh, and this is Common Burdock, photographed at Mallard Point, Fish Creek Park, on September 25th. Though it is an invasive weed, I find the plant quite attractive. "The prickly heads of these plants (burrs) are noted for easily catching on to fur and clothing (being the inspiration for Velcro), thus providing an excellent mechanism for seed dispersal." From Wikipedia.

The Lesser Burdock is the main Burdock here in Calgary but I did get a chance to see this one Greater Burdock plant. The Velcro-like burrs attach to one's clothing or animals' fur. According to enchantedlearning.com, "George de Mestral was a Swiss engineer who invented Velcro in 1948. While hiking, he had noticed that burrs (burdock seeds) stuck to his clothing extraordinarily well. The burrs had hook-like protrusions that attached themselves firmly to clothing. Mestral used this same model to develop Velcro, which consists of one strip of nylon with loops, and another with hooks. Mestral patented Velcro in 1957. It was originally used mostly for fastening clothes, but is now used to fasten many other things."