Although there may have been more writers of science fiction who are not known to us, Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein, is credited with creating the genre of science fiction in the very early 1800s.  Novelists who choose science fiction as their platform have always had amazing imaginations, creating objects and worlds of the strange, bizarre, and fantastical.  My suspicion is that some of their characters and objects were and are still based, at least initially, on things that exist in our world.  Given the huge variety of shapes and colors that exist in the world of plants alone, it makes sense. Looking at plants and flowers, I always seem to see some alien creature.

It took a bit of online research to find what I think is the name of this brain-like fungi or puffball - Calbovista subsculpta.  It was the size of a dinner plate and may have been edible, but I do not have enough knowledge about them to take a chance.

puffball

Downright dangerous, just by looking at it, but this is a thistle bud.  I loved the way the fibers are literally woven over and around the prickly points.

thistle bud

In their many stages on the way to flowering, yuccas definitely carry bloom stalks that are worthy of the Alien movies.

yucca bloom stalk 2

yucca bloom stalk 1

Finally, its circular interior makes the flower of the mariposa lily look space-ship like, with all sorts of creatures inside.

Mariposa lily

The images in today's blog were made using a Nikon D5200 with 18-55 mm lens.  No muss no fuss no filters.  Just nature - out there.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image@