Happy Mystery Monday! Can you guess what is pictured in photo #1?
The answer to last week’s mystery is Virginia stickseed, Hackelia virginiana, pictured in photo #2.
The Virginia stickseed, Hackelia virginiana, also known as beggar’s lice, is a native biennial in the borage family, Boraginaceae. Growing 2–3′ tall, it is most often found in deciduous forests, particularly in areas with higher-pH soils. Its small white, five-petaled flowers are easy to overlook, but its tiny triangular burrs are considerably harder to ignore.
“Beggar’s lice” is a name given to several plants whose seeds hitch rides on clothing and animal fur, and Virginia stickseed is especially good at the job. By late summer and fall, the upper portion of the plant dries early and becomes brittle, allowing seed-bearing stems, or sometimes much of the plant, to break away. The burrs are covered with tiny hooks that readily cling to socks, pant legs, and pets, helping carry the seeds away from the parent plant.
Virginia stickseed also has a history of use in Cherokee herbal traditions. The roots and other parts of the plant were prepared for several traditional purposes, including treatments for skin and kidney conditions and use in cultural practices. Its bitter foliage is generally avoided by deer and livestock, while the plant instead supports specialized insects. And for anyone returning from an autumn walk covered in its hitchhiking seeds, an unlikely tool can help: a dry Swiffer-style cloth can snag the microscopic hooks and pull the burrs from fabric surprisingly well.
Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum.
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