In Nature It Is Not Impolite To Point

I took a few trips around the pond trying to find something 'pointed' for this week's PhotoHunt theme. I had a few ideas, but they didn't seem to come across in the photographs. Finally I got what I needed. And along with it I got a little education. At first glance this pine cone may appear to be only moderately 'pointed', but a closer look reveals the growth of the 'pointed' spikes on each of the scales of the pine cone. These pointed spikes are called prickles on the yellow pine. Any kid who has ever been in a pine cone fight using immature pine cones can tell you those prickles are definitely pointed.

I was surprised to learn that there are male cones and female cones. Actually the male cones are usually in clusters at the end of a limb and normally wither and die after they release their pollen. The female cone is the one we are mostly familiar with. It takes at least two years for a female cone to mature in virtually all conifers. The first year it remains relatively small and then it matures rapidly during the second year.

This photo is of a younger cone on the same tree. It almost resembles a small pineapple, but the yellow will quickly darken into the green of the first photo. Cones can remain on some conifers for up to 10-15 years and still produce viable seeds.

Perhaps within a year or so this cone will be fully matured and ready to open its shingle-like scales and disperse its seeds to the winds of nature.

PhotoHunt
Weekly Theme - Pointed