Chondrilla juncea

804_1511 [Chondrilla juncea]
 

This is a thin, noxious weed native to Europe, Asia and North America

but it can also be found in many other parts of the world.

It develops numerous branches up to 125 cm tall

and produces daisy-like yellowish flowers (2cm in diameter)

that eventually turn into a fruit topped with a pappus. (See picture below.)

 

Although it can reach more than a meter in height,

it usually passes unnoticed by the photographer’s eye

but remains a noxious pest in the eyes of land cultivators.

 

In any case, its yellow flowers, whether noticed or unnoticed,

contribute in their own way to nature’s overall beauty!

 

 

304_6927 [Chondrilla juncea]

 from a flower to a pappus

 

Each of juncea’s yellow flower gradually turns into a pappus

that lets its numerous parachute-like seeds be drifted by the wind

to new locations and achieve reproduction of the species.

 

Photographed on Mt. Parnitha on Sept 7, 2024