The mystery seeds last week were from calendula or pot marigold, Calendula officinalis.

Grown as a summer annual in most areas, calendulas are grown in the winter here in the low desert.

Aren’t the lovely orange flowers much more attractive than the bumpy seeds?

Image from Wikimedia

Did you ever wonder why so many plants have the species name officinalis, like Lavendula officinalis
(lavender) or Borago officinalis (borage)? That species name was used early on to designate herbs with medicinal properties. Cool!