Pine cones, male

A few days ago, I posted a picture of pecan male flowers. They looked similar to what you see above, which is a picture of male pine cones. As with the pecan flowers, the function of these cones is to produce pollen, which, occasionally, fertilizes an egg, thus leading to a plant embryo. These cones have released their pollen, and have fallen off their tree.

If you want a higher-resolution picture, you can get it by clicking on the picture, then finding the different sizes link, at the right, in the source page. (Free Flickr membership may be required. Flickr is an excellent way to share pictures.)