Dead Roses.

I had actually visited our old chestnut trees to find some toadstools, there are often interesting specimens trying to decompose these two trees before they are actually dead - "nature, red in tooth and claw." In stead, I found a few dead roses deliberately placed around and, in spite of the number of times that I have visited, I had never noticed the heart carved deeply into this burr.

I wasn't exactly sure what these growths were until I looked it up, it seems that they are usually caused by "insect infestation or fungal attacks," a statement that left me wondering what was the difference between one of these and a gall - also usually caused by an insect or fungus - perhaps the word "infestation" is the key, at least as far as insects are concerned.