Fluorescence Digital Image Gallery

Milkweed Fibers

Starting early July, over 120 species of milkweed flower into beautiful umbrella-like clusters of pinks, purples, whites, oranges, reds, and yellows that fill the air with a delicate, sweet odor. In September and October, the flowers develop into spindle-shaped pods and begin to dry. When the pods crack, a fluffy tuft of down-like fiber is dispersed along with little brown seeds. This fiber, known as the milkweed silk, was used to fill jackets during World War II and is still used to fill some natural fiber pillows.


© 1995-2022 by Michael W. Davidson and The Florida State University. All Rights Reserved. No images, graphics, software, scripts, or applets may be reproduced or used in any manner without permission from the copyright holders. Use of this website means you agree to all of the Legal Terms and Conditions set forth by the owners.
This website is maintained by our
Graphics & Web Programming Team
in collaboration with Optical Microscopy at the
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.
Last modification: Monday, Dec 01, 2003 at 01:59 PM
Access Count Since April 30, 2003: 10429
Microscopes provided by:
Visit the Nikon website. Visit the Olympus Microscopy Resource Center website.