Close up Detail of a Seeding Dandelion Flower Head (Taraxacum officinale) Showing Wind Dispersal Mechanism on Individual Seeds.

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Detail of a Dandelion Seed Head. This shows how the flower matures into a seed producing organism. The individual seeds each have a delicate parachute structure which catches the wind to disperse them away from the parent plant. This structure is detached and the seed germinates. This is a common plant often thought of as a weed although it provides pollen for many insect species. Children love to blow the ‘Dandelion Clock’ when the seed head matures.

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Size: 4000px × 6000px
Location: Great Torrington, Devon, England.
Photo credit: © John Insull / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

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