Mountain Mahogany seeds backlit by the later afternoon sun.

These seeds are incredible. God knew what he was doing with this plant.

They get caught by the wind and the spirals drill them into the ground to plant them.

If they don't get planted that way, when the seeds get wet, the spiral tail will straighten out and curl again as it dries to drill the seed into the soil.

It will keep doing that, straightening and curling, until it plants itself or it dies.

The seeds also get caught in cloths and fur to be carried off.

You shouldn't stand under a bush filled with these and shake it. The seeds get stuck everywhere and those little fiber things are like fiberglass and really iche like no tomorrow.

Speaking from experience.