PLANE TREE SEEDS

Platanus is a genus comprising a small number of tree species native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole living members of the family Platanaceae.All members of Platanus are tall, reaching 30 to 50 meters in height. All except for P. kerrii are deciduous, and most are found in riparian or other wetland habitats in the wild, though proving drought-tolerant in cultivation. The hybrid London Plane has proved particularly tolerant of urban conditions.

After being pollinated, the female flowers become achenes that form an aggregate ball. Typically, the core of the ball is 1 cm in diameter and is covered with a net of mesh 1 mm, which can be peeled off. The ball is 2.5–4 cm in diameter and contains several hundred achenes, each of which has a single seed and is conical, with the point attached downward to the net at the surface of the ball. There is also a tuft of many thin stiff yellow-green bristle fibers attached to the base of each achene. These bristles help in wind dispersion of the fruits as in the dandelion.

This post is part of the Weekend in Black and White meme,

And also part of the Weekly TopShot meme.