© Getty
This microscopic view shows a crosssection of a female pine cone. Pine cones are either pollen-releasing males or seed-growing females. Seeds develop within the pine cone’s ovules, which are the light-blue areas in this image. When the seeds are ready to emerge from the cone, they travel past the cone’s woody petals, called ovuliferous scales, and fall onto the soil to germinate.
© NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)