#seed capsule

[nh-art]

Too late (Last year I took innumerable amounts of photos of poppies [”Poppy Mania”] - this year all I found in the same spot were those two capsules [”Poppy Depression” I guess]

[magalhaeswalter]

Minha planta suculenta Huernia, com sua cápsula de sementes aberta.

My succulent Huernia plant, with its seed pod open.

[wildflowers-of-southern-ontario]

Yellow Trout Lily, seed pods + leaves Erythronium americanum Liliaceae (Lily) Family

The seed pods, or capsules, are light green. They develop six to eight weeks after flowering.

Photographs taken on May 23, 2020, along the Etobicoke Creek, Mississauga, Ontario.

[natur-nah-dran]

seed capsule from last year

[eda11y]

Seed case by neupeters

[nh-art]

[cactusmandan]

The seed capsules of plants of the Aizoaceae family (Ice plant/living stone family eg: Lithops) are fascinating. Around 98% of species in the family produce hygrochastic seed capsules. This means that the capsules open up in the presence of water, such as when they are wetted by rain. This happens due to the structure of the seed capsules and the cells which make up them. When wetted, the dead cells forming the capsule expand and change shape, allowing the capsules to open as you can see above. When the capsules are fully open, the seeds can be washed out by further raindrops. The capsules are capable of opening in just a number of minutes, which is an important feature in habitat, as rainstorms may be quite short.

The pictures show a seed capsule of Oscularia (Lampranthus) deltoides opening in response to moisture. If I get time, I'll try to make a time lapse or video of a capsule opening.