Milkweed #2

A gorgeous sunny day today, & I couldn't resist taking another picture of this amazing milkweed plant! I especially like this one, as you can see that the pod to the back has emptied all it's seeds, but the one to the front has just begun, with what appears to be the very first seed escaping. You can see how beautifully, how perfectly, the seeds are stacked inside the pods.
During WWII the white floss was collected (5,000 tons of it) & used to fill lifejackets, as the normal substance used to fill them was in short supply. In the "olden days" of the 1800's, the floss filled many a mattress, pillow & quilt; it can be used as tinder to help start fires, & was used for medicinal purposes by the Native Americans. Mother Nature is so amazing, isn't she! Even better viewed LARGE