Another aster
Another late season aster, I think pussytoes (Antennaria):
The radiating bracts and the center remind me of a sunflower, though this is small, less than half an inch across. Like some other composite fruits, they close when wet. I waited a day for these to dry out before getting this image.
I’ve not heard of composite fruits that close when wet and the reopen when they dry out. Do you know the names of any others?
It’s something I’ve observed before. In this post https://tomwhelan.wordpress.com/2019/11/30/asters/, I photographed some heath asters that closed after a rain. They reopened after they dried out.
I see I even commented on that at the time but didn’t remember. How fleeting memory can be.
The center is particularly lovely. It reminds me of a millefiori paperweight. I’ve seen white flowers whose petals become transparent when wet, then become opaque as they dry out, but I didn’t realize some would close when wet. In any case, the shades of white and brown are very attractive.
The center has the most visual interest for me. Take a look at the November 2019 post I mentioned in my reply to Steve for another aster that closed when wet. Photographing aster fruits has become something I do in late fall, early winter.
I love this close up of the aster after the bloom is gone. I believe what you have here is a species of aster, not pussytoes which is a different plant. You’ve exquisitely captured the seedheads.
Thanks for the kind words 🙂 Pussytoes is just my guess – and Antennaria is in the aster family. I wish I’d paid more attention when they were flowering!