It comes with added red tailed bee bum, and so the mystery is revealed…a globe artichoke flower, or rather an artichoke inflorescence since each part is an individual small flower. There were several valiant stabs at it, but Jude and Izzie were the first to guess correctly.

The up-close version as seen in yesterday’s response to I.J. Khanewala’s challenge at  Lens-Artists

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And here’s an artichoke flower just opening, the scaly outer leaves  meanwhile serving the constructional purposes of a small green spider:

 

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And now for the whole plant. I grow several globe artichoke varieties at the allotment. The purple ones are probably our favourites:

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Here’s one in the throes of being prepared as an artichoke heart, i.e. before having its inner leaves and hairy choke scooped out:

And now for a ‘B’ Movie: ‘Three Bees In An Artichoke’

 

Past Squares #11