August 19,
Myles Standish State Forest, Plymouth
In a way, pipeworts are "Asteraceae" within monocots:
their compact heads consist of multiple miniature florets (flowers) and are
surrounded by leafy bracts--much like composite flower heads. The florets are
either pistillate or staminate. Pipeworts are monoecious: each head
contains both types. They are insect-pollinated and attract their
pollinators by producing nectar through corolla glands, which look like tiny
dark spots.