Flowers can dominate the attention when it comes to admiring plants. Even though they may seem fleeting, the fruits and seeds are elegant after their petals have faded.Levon Biss's new book, The Hidden Beauty of Seeds & Fruits - The Botanical Photography of Levon Biss reveals some of the most striking and unique examples of functional elements found in plants after most people have turned their backs. Biss's book features photographs taken from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburghs Carpological Collection. Scientists can use such repositories to preserve plants and learn more about their function. Every delicate, often fuzzy specimen tells us a little more about the tools that life uses to survive.The white fruit of Eriosyce aurata plants keeps the internal seeds protected from heat and moisture. The fruit is protected by its skin: the prickly sheath, left, foreshadows what will be found in fully grown cactus.Adenocarpus complicatus is a Mediterranean legume that produces distinctive pods that open when it's time to release seeds. The seeds are rich in estrogen-like molecules, such as those found in soy beans and other beans. They have been used to treat osteoporosis symptoms and menopause symptoms.Wrightia arborea, woolly dyeing rosebay: This deciduous tree releases seeds with attached tufts of hair called comae. Comae can be fluffy, but have small hooks built in to ensure that seeds germinate and stay put.The water chestnut is a dangerous-looking plant. It has been part our diet since Neolithic time. The sharp spines you see here are formed when the leaf-like, green petals that protect the base of the flower become hardened.The needle-leaf featherbush is found in South Africa's fynbos area. This region has more variety than the Amazon rain forest. Many species of seeds here depend on fire to begin putting out shoots. This shrub is one of them. The wind then disperses the rest.Cone of a giant bankia: This southwestern Australian native has up to 4,000 flowers at once. It is embedded on a long rod that rises from the center of a leaf cluster.Anthyllis Circular Fruit is a circular fruit that comes from Anthyllis. It can be found anywhere in the world, including the Arabian Peninsula and the Mediterranean. Scientists have also explored the possibility of using plants to remove heavy metals from the soil.The seeds of castor oil plants contain ricin, which is extremely poisonous. Each seed contains a yellow nodule containing fats, which is nutritious for young ants. After bringing their harvest to their nests, the ants remove the tasty part and chuck the remainder into their trash pile. This is where the future plant will grow.The fruit of Araujia Sericifera, also known as the cruel or Araujia sericifera is a split-sided plant that allows seeds to float away. The vine is considered to be an invasive plant in California and can choke citrus trees if it is not removed.
