Fruit and seeds of the wild cornflower, Centaurea cyanus. This dried flower head is in fact made up of many flowers. Once pollinated, the lilac- colou

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Fruit and seeds of the wild cornflower, Centaurea cyanus. This dried flower head is in fact made up of many flowers. Once pollinated, the lilac- coloured flowers decay leaving green protective bracts (seen here) which close up. This fruit matures slowly. During dry conditions these bracts expand and open to reveal a collection of pale seeds. Each seed has a tuft of hairs allowing it to be dispersed by the wind. Centaurea cyanus has lived closely associated with human agriculture since neolithic times. It is now found worldwide among cereal crops, but is gradually disappearing through the use of agricultural herbicides.

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Size: 3569px × 5509px
Photo credit: © CLAUDE NURIDSANY & MARIE PERENNOU/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: angiosperm, angiosperms, asteraceae, botany, centaurea, compositae, cornflower, cyanus, fruit, nature, plant, seed, type