a candidate for best seedpod

y’all know my love of seedpods. and this common weed, called velvetleaf, is in the running for one of my favorite seedpods. so, i was thrilled today when i found this stem–standing almost 5 feet high. velvetleaf is native to southern asia…so in rather cooler minnesota, where it grows wild in disturbed roadsides and along the edges of parking lots, the stems seem to typically reach only 12-18 inches high. But this year we had a warmer than average july and august…so i was gifted with this seussian stranger. wiki tells me that velvetleaf is in the mallow family–which includes cotton, hollyhock, hibiscus, and linden trees. i am not sure i see the family resemblance there. looks like i need to do a deep dive into  la familia Malvaceae. yay…i so love a good rabbit hole.

velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti)