Another week has flown by, and it is time for mystery seed again.
Aren’t these interesting, with the silvery parachutes? (That’s a hint, by the way.)
Please leave a comment if you have an idea what these might grow into.
Edit:Â The answer is now posted.
Our mystery seeds from last week were from brittlebush, Encelia farinosa.
Brittlebush is a common plant, native to the southwestern United States.
It has silvery green leaves and is covered with bright yellow flowers in the spring. It can reach five feet tall and forms a rounded mound. It is a perennial.
The “flowers” are actually daisy-like composites.
The intense yellow flowers produce clusters of seeds.
The brittlebush seeds in the photographs last week were not quite mature. Notice the mature seeds above are darker and filled out more. They still have the intriguing fringe, though.
Brittlebush grow readily from seeds.
Brittlebush flowers are visited by many insects, for example see these previous posts:Â the elegant blister beetle on a brittlebush flower and another bee on brittlebush leaf.
In the past humans have used brittlebush resins as a form of chewing gum and for burning as incense.
Isn’t it a beautiful and interesting plant?
Have you ever seen brittlebush in bloom?
Did you know it is National DNA Day this Friday, April 20, 2012? 
National DNA Day celebrates the completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003, as well as the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA.
Of course I went right to the Teaching Tools to see what was available. The NHGRI Activities for the USA Science and Engineering Festival link takes you to instructions for kid-friendly activities:
Digging around, the Genetics Resources for Teachers has .pdf files to download. The Educator’s Page has links to a variety of resources, as well. Many of the materials are suitable for older children and young adults.
K8 Science has also put together some resources to honor National DNA Day.
I noticed the American Society of Human Genetics sponsors a DNA Day Essay Contest for students in grades 9-12 with cash prizes (it’s not clear whether it is open to homeschool students). Although too late for this year, it might be something to keep in mind for next year.
Why not take a few minutes and build a DNA molecule on Friday to celebrate?
Illustration from Wikimedia
For more information, see Roberta Gibson Writes.
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