Can anyone identify this seed head?
Feb 1, 2018 22:59:04 #
I took these in Indianapolis around the end of May. I have no idea what kind of flower this is.
Feb 2, 2018 00:09:15 #
Feb 2, 2018 03:03:44 #
Joe Blow wrote:
I took these in Indianapolis around the end of May. I have no idea what kind of flower this is.
White Sow Thistle
Seed head looks like a dandelion but they grow taller and with multiple stems and seed heads. I get them in my yard fairly often.
Feb 2, 2018 07:07:54 #
It's a Salsify flower seed head. Many are yellow but they come in a variety of colors and colloquial names.
-Doc
-Doc
Feb 2, 2018 08:16:27 #
I have found them called 'goat's beard'. For several years I tried to save the seed and plant them in my beds, and finally a couple of years ago, I had one come up! Now I make sure some of the seed are scattered in areas where they will not be mowed. They are wonderful seed heads to photograph! They put on a small bright yellow flower, but the seed head is awesome. I have seen them growing in Colorado, Ky. and Tn. I suspect they are scattered in many places across the US.
Feb 2, 2018 09:03:39 #
Feb 2, 2018 09:12:38 #
BB4A wrote:
Wow, really? It’s a dandelion.
OK, it isn't a dandelion. The leaves are wrong and go up the stem.
Feb 2, 2018 09:40:06 #
Thank you all for chiming in. I think they are Tragopogon dubius, commonly called salsify and goat's beard (among other names). And yes, they do have attractive flowers and seed heads. I couldn't have figured it out without the help on where to start looking.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragopogon_dubius
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragopogon_dubius
Feb 2, 2018 09:49:55 #
BB4A wrote:
Wow, really? It’s a dandelion.
You can't tell the relative size from these images, but the Salsify has a ball like a dandelion except the seed ball is bigger than a American baseball.
Feb 2, 2018 10:21:32 #
Joe Blow wrote:
I took these in Indianapolis around the end of May. I have no idea what kind of flower this is.
That looks mighty familiar.
Good close ups of that dandelion.Feb 2, 2018 10:53:45 #
They're very common here in nothern Indiana, especially in "waste" areas like railroad right-of-ways, roadsides, etc.
Very hardy when left to their own devices, and a favorite photo subject for many folks.
Very hardy when left to their own devices, and a favorite photo subject for many folks.
Feb 2, 2018 12:00:55 #
Joe Blow wrote:
I took these in Indianapolis around the end of May. I have no idea what kind of flower this is.
whatever they are, you got some pretty shots of them, joe.
Feb 2, 2018 14:38:42 #
merrytexan wrote:
whatever they are, you got some pretty shots of them, joe.
Thank you. It's easy to get a nice shot when you have a nice subject. I really appreciate the close up that shows the symmetry of the seed arrangement
Feb 2, 2018 15:02:10 #
Joe Blow wrote:
Thank you all for chiming in. I think they are Tragopogon dubius, commonly called salsify and goat's beard (among other names). And yes, they do have attractive flowers and seed heads. I couldn't have figured it out without the help on where to start looking.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragopogon_dubius
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragopogon_dubius
Thanks for the education. I’m glad to be wrong (I often am), as it’s generally a learning experience. I’ve seen plenty of these in Europe too, and had just assumed that they were a form of dandelion.
Feb 2, 2018 18:09:02 #
Flowers and other plants are often regional in the USA. Also the Composite Family is the largest of all plant families. There are a lot of them. Yes, it does more or less look like a dandelion as I might see in California, but it is slightly different and from many replies from Mid-Westerners and Easterners it is a different species. Dandelion flowers to not get baseball sized. Wow would I ever love to do a focus stack on what ever that "seedhead" is. I might have to travel a bit though.
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