Here is my contribution for this week’s Macro Monday. I would love to tell you what it is, but unfortunately I haven’t a clue! Anyone know?
I had taken a walk with my little Panasonic Lumix bridge camera – a lovely thing, light and compact, but with more features than the point and shoot – and came across this weird looking seed head near the path. I have never seen anything like it before. I can see that it’s a member of the umbelliferae, which is a group of plants with florets arranged in an umberella shape on top of a stem, with many tiny branching stalks and a flat top … but wait! There is no flat top! Could there be a creature of some kind in there, which has made itself a little nest, or a nursery? Maybe the plant has a virus which has caused it to turn inward and tangle itself in a knot? Perhaps the seeds are tiny burrs, and the wind has whipped it and thrashed it until it’s got all stuck to itself?
There were no identifiable leaves left which I could see. Nothing more than the stalk and this odd-looking head. Oh well, it makes for an intriguing photo, does it not?
I didn’t have a tripod with me, and it was windy, so I had to hold the stalk in one hand to steady it and shoot one handed. It’s a little bit fuzzy, but it’s a miracle it turned out as well as it did.
By the way, the picture is clickable, but you’ll need to click again on the next page to see the full-sized version. I’m still trying to find out how to ‘fix’ this, since updating the blog.
Do you want me to tell you now and spoil it for everyone else or shall I wait for a bit to let other people figure it out?
Don’t Bug Me!´s last blog ..The Fourth of the Fourth
DBM – Oh, I think we should have a few guesses first, don’t you?
I’m glad you know though. I’m looking forward to finding out!
Well, I don’t have a clue. But I agree it is intriguing. But…fuzzy? Where? Looks perfect to me.
ethelmaepotter´s last blog ..My Holiday Birthday Weekend, Continued
I think Don’t Bug Me! is bluffing
(No, not really, she probably knows.)
And it can’t see the fuzzyness either. It’s a great shot and well spotted!
brinkbeestinenglish´s last blog ..Horse driving trials, the marathon
I haven’t a clue, but it’s a fabulous shot!
bettyl´s last blog ..macro
No clue what it is, but it looks like it’s about to release havoc onto the world… those seeds look as if they may be rather burr like. Great shot. I have a lumix I use some and am pretty surprised by the quality of the shots… the color is great
Margo´s last blog ..Last Minute and Late Summer Walk
That DBM is wicket smaht! No idea but it looks like those seeds aren’t going anywhere in a hurry.
Baino´s last blog ..Celebrity Adoption, Tax Avoidance and Boody Auto Formatting
I think it’s about to explode and send out all those seeds at a great speed and distance. Then, down the road a bit, it will be like ‘The Day of the Triffids’.
babs – beetle´s last blog ..Fly by night?
What a great shot. I think it’s a dill head. That’s just PG for, well, you know! Nah. Dill head is the dried up head of dill weed.That’s what I think it is! I could be totally wrong.
Kaytabug´s last blog ..Eye See Macro Monday
I sincerely hope it isn’t a home for nesting eight legged beasties! It looks very interesting thought, and like nothing I have come across before. Can’t wait for an explanation.
granny grimble´s last blog ..GOOD NEWS!
Haven’t got a clue but it looks interesting to be sure.
TY for the visit.
I’ve never seen this before, the other stem looks like it’s holding on to the other flowers inside it, interesting!
Jama´s last blog ..Ruby Tuesday : Kids in red
Ethelmaepotter – Well, if you go to the full sized version and put your face close to the screen you’ll see that it’s as big as I could get it without losing definition, and I had to artificially sharpen it.
But thank you! 
Brinkbeest In English – Thank you – you are very kind! Watch this space, and hopefully we’ll find out for sure what it is!
Bettyl – Thank you!
Margo – I love my Lumix – actually, I have two. A little compact point-and-shoot, and the bridge camera. Perfect for snapshots while out and about. I might not get wonderful, sparkling photographs in less-than-ideal conditions, but at least I don’t miss the shot altogether!
Baino – She is, isn’t she? Comes of all that travel, I expect. It shakes up the little grey cells. LOL!
Babs – Oh no! You think I should run back down there and yank it out before it’s too late? :O
Kaytabug – Haha! I feel like the ‘dill head’ for not knowing what it is! I’m not often completely stumped on my own native flora!
Granny – I think I know what it is, now, having done some searching, and I don’t think it has anything to do with eight-legged beasties – you’ll be happy to hear!
Amanda – It does, doesn’t it? A perfect ‘what is it’ to make Macro Monday intriguing!
Jama – It’s most peculiar, isn’t it?
I think it’s the football stadium of all creepy crawlies with the roof closed. As soon as the match was over, the roof would have opened (you were early) and all the creepy crawlies would have flown away and scuttled off. That’s just what I think.
Mara´s last blog ..Beer
Unfortunately I have no idea what it is, but your photo is very nice !
Gattina´s last blog ..RUBY RED TUESDAY
I love Mara’s idea! Couldn’t we just settle for that?
brinkbeestinenglish´s last blog ..Horse driving trials, the marathon
I have no clue either, but it looks pretty much like the little thingies you will find in the fur of dogs and cats when they were strolling through the bushes.
Cool shot of a Queen Anne’s lace dried seed head, a.k.a. wild carrot. Yep, that’s what it really is.
EG Wow!´s last blog ..Lake Scugog Ferry/ Watery Wednesday
Mara – Hahahahaha!!! I’m sorry I didn’t wait around, now! Think what a blog post that would have made!
Gattina – Well, thank you!
Brinkbeestinenglish – Good heavens. Where’s your thirst for knowledge and the truth? ROFL!!
Buenos Aires Photo Blog – It does, doesn’t it? But it was bigger than that!
EG Wow! – Ah!! Someone who knows! Well done! And there was me reading all those posts this summer about Queen Anne’s Lace and saying I didn’t think we had that plant over here – and all the time it’s a wild carrot!!
It’s the first time I’ve seen one round here, though, that’s for sure!
Thank you!
Yep #18 ‘s got it, the dried seed head of the queen annes lace.
Nice shot!
Valerie´s last blog ..Macro Monday
See, I knew someone else would get it. Here is a link for wild carrot, aka Queen Anne’s lace, aka Daucus carota. The seed head opens and closes depending on the humidity and how dry it is. It closes up when it is moist out and opens up to disperse the seeds when it is dry.
http://www.msuweeds.com/michigans_worst_weeds/wild_carrot/
Don’t Bug Me!´s last blog ..The Fourth of the Fourth
Valerie – Well done! And thank you!
DBM – Thanks! It’s one I’ve never come across before – or maybe only in dry weather. How interesting!
Going to check out the link …
Ha! I love it – am going to go looking for some of this myself this weekend. Queen Anne’s Lace – my sister used to think you would get a rash if you touched it…
Kath´s last blog ..a jewel
I think you did very well with your camera phone! Thanks for the tour.
…but, where is Johnny?
Lily´s last blog ..traffic