Mystery object?

[Bruce Williams]

This is not a quiz.

Photographed on lichen-covered stump in mixed birch, oak and pine woodland. I've got a feeling I'm going to feel pretty stupid when someone tells me what this is......it looks so familiar



Bruce

[Dogghound]

Looks like part of or a whole (tree) cone of some sort.

[aeshna5]

Looks like a Cupressus cone.

[juliejam]

This reminds me of the little bits we used to collect of the trees and throw at each other as kids...Lawson's Cypress...


Julie

[Bruce Williams]

I can see where you folks are going with this and it certainly looks like you're on the right track.

I did some Googling on your suggestions and this illustration of C.macnabiana is the closest I've found to my pic so far. See: Cupressus Conservation Project

I'm not suggesting it's from that particular species, just confirming that a similar looking Cypress cone exists.

On the down side the photo was taken in a part of Stockgrove Country Park (across the road from the car park) where there are few tree species other than the three I mentioned (although I seem to recall seeing a few Norwegian Spruce). However....there is an area within a couple of hundred yards or so where they sell Christmas trees in December.

Bruce

[aeshna5]

Where I used to work we had some Cupressus glabra + their cones are like this, but I wouldn't like to say it's necessarily that species from the photo with no tree!