#heirloomspinach

Frog-faced or Sloth-faced Crab Spider waiting in a seed cluster to ambush unsuspecting visitors (just kidding - I don’t know what kind of Crab Spider it is). Many members of this family ambush their prey in flowers or fruits. The seeds of this Winterspinat Haldenstein are outstretched much like this spider! See the following photos for more seed cluster images. As I got closer and closer for this shot, the spider got more and more agitated and then lunged at me - which was much scarier through the loupe, which I dropped. Apparently, they are harmless to humans though. #Thomisidae #crabspider #winterspinathaldenstein #heirloomspinach #spinachseed

Pollen from the Winterspinat Haldenstein, shaken loose in slo-mo. Like asparagus, yams, kiwis, pawpaws, papayas, and hops, spinach plants are dioecious (“two houses”) meaning male and female flowers are on separate plants. Some plants, like squash and corn, are monoecious (“one house”), with separate male and female flowers on the same plant. However, as far as I know, the vast majority of plant species are hermaphroditic with perfect flowers that contain male and female parts that can self-pollinate. #winterspinathaldenstein #winterspinach #spinachpollen #pollen #dioecious #monoecious #hermaphroditic #plantsex #flowermorphology #heirloomspinach #seedkeeping #seedsaving

Frog-faced or Sloth-faced Crab Spider waiting in a seed cluster to ambush unsuspecting visitors (just kidding - I don’t know what kind of Crab Spider it is). Many members of this family ambush their prey in flowers or fruits. The seeds of this Winterspinat Haldenstein are outstretched much like this spider! See the following photos for more seed cluster images. As I got closer and closer for this shot, the spider got more and more agitated and then lunged at me - which was much scarier through the loupe, which I dropped. Apparently, they are harmless to humans though. #Thomisidae #crabspider #winterspinathaldenstein #heirloomspinach #spinachseed

Spinach seed clusters ripening on the female plants; male flowers full of pollen, but on their way out; tall male spinach plants with light-colored flowers on top tower over shorter greener female plants; the spinach seed patch - seeded in early December. #winterspinathaldenstein #heirloomspinach #seedsaving #seedkeeping #winterspinach #spinachseed #spinachflower