Umbilical cords

In bud, a burst of colour
Anticipating spring,
The rose, defeated by inclement weather,
Now fading, drying, last petal falling.
But its inner receptacle
Is revealed -
A teeming mass of what appear to be
Tightly coiled umbilical cords
And embryos.

This is the rose I blipped a couple of weeks ago - Bursting - and sadly it never saw its full glory. However, in this fading state it's fascinating to see the innards. I think this is the receptacle, where the parts of the flower are attached to the stalk but a botanist will know more. I like the contrast between the soft petal, the crisped leaves and the teeming

I've also back-blipped Seafood platter for yesterday.

Apologies for not commenting for days - will catch up ASAP.