oxalis
I had no idea what this things were, so I did some research. These are oxalis (aka Wood Sorrel) pods!
This here is either a specimen of creeping/recumbent yellow wood sorrel or common yellow wood sorrel. But either way, apparently the pods EXPLODE!
"Both plants [creeping wood sorrel and common yellow wood sorrel] are perennial; however, the main difference between the two is that yellow woodsorrel spreads by below-ground rhizomes (stems that creep below the ground), and creeping woodsorrel spreads by stolons (stems that creep above the ground)."
-Source: The Cooperative Extension Service; The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
I didn't examine that closely when I was photographing them, so I can't tell you which species exactly this is.
6 comments:
when the seeds inside the pods are black looking, if you pick the pod and roll it around in you hand, the seeds will exxplode out. but if you pick them when the seeds are still green, you can eat them. the taste slightly sour, but in a good way.
Wonderful closeup. The details are great with the little like hairs and the leaf you posted yesterday is great too.
Great shot with that beautiful green & it's very sharp!
I love these closeup shots. I need to start experimenting with these
It seems the MQ is on another rampage. I do like this picture. As others have said, nice color, detail, and composition.
So that this is not merely a me-too post, I will add that the pods remind me of the crystals in Superman's Fortress of Solitude. The pods might be slightly greener, hairier, and more opaque than the crystals, though.
Katelyn- The seeds inside the pod have to be black? Is there any way of telling whether or not it'll explod in my hand while I'm rolling it? Or do I just roll it, and that's how I know?
(By the way- I read that the flavor is caused by oxalic acid, which inhibits calcium absorption. Of course, as long as nobody eats an entire soup bowl of the stuff, there shouldn't be any problem.)
L- Thanks. :) I'm a big fan of hairy things. Like, er, pods.
Nikon- Of all the issues I might have with my Fuji, the supermacro mode is not one of them. ;)
Dan- The town in which I live is not very photographable, so I've kind of been driven to focus on the teeny bits. Pretty much ANYTHING can look good between 2-100x magnification. :D
John- You're probably right. But the crystals are what, Kryptonite? Which must have a half-life. And perhaps, when Kryptonite decays, its natural hairs and the molecules that provide (opaque) pigment to the crystals are the first to go... so maybe those crystals DID look like this once upon a time.
Or- more likely- global warming will heat that place up, and various fungi/algae/lichens will latch themselves onto the crystals, causing the same green/hairy effect.
Post a Comment