Even though it is December, we still have plenty of insects out and about.
Take this lone harvester ant guarding its nest entrance. Looks like it may have encountered a problem, as it is missing the middle leg on this side.
It is always interesting to check the middens (garbage dump) near the harvest ant nests. I wonder if the round seed with ridges is a canyon hackberry…
Our mystery seeds this week also have an unusual appearance.
In the pod they look like small, bumpy snails.
Here’s a closer look. The color might be a bit light, because these are probably not quite mature.
Do you recognize what plant these seeds are from? If you choose to, please leave a comment with your ideas.
Mystery seed answers and new Mystery seeds are posted on Tuesdays.
Edit:Â The answer is now posted.
The mystery seeds from last week that look like insects were indeed from yellow wood sorrel, Oxalis stricta.
Yellow wood sorrel is a small short-lived perennial that grows throughout much of North America.
It is sometimes mistaken as clover because the leaves are composed of three heart-shaped leaflets.
The delicate 5-petal flowers are pale to bright yellow.
There are a couple of other closely-related species of Oxalis that resemble O. stricta, and may be difficult to identify.
Native to North America, yellow wood sorrel can be considered to be a weed in certain nursery or turfgrass situations. Others may enjoy its delicate beauty, and consider it to be a wildflower.
In any case, don’t you think it has unusual seeds?
For more information, see Roberta Gibson Writes.
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