Virtual Museum of Canada
Jardin botanique de Montréal 
Centre for Forest Research

The fruit of knowledge

Good Answer

In fact, the fruit of the alder is not a conifer cone, but a woody catkin: an accessory fruit formed by overlapping scales. Since they mature more than a year before releasing their seeds, through dispersion by the wind, it is possible to observe fruits at different stages of development.

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Alnus crispa var. mollis

© Jardin botanique de Montréal (Normand Cornellier)