Burdock and Velcro

I found Burdock in the corner of a quiet lot.  

Now, I'm sure Burdock is not on your beloved plant list, 

as it is a biennial thistle and considered an invasive species in North America.  

But, Burdock does have some redeeming qualities......

It is a traditional medicinal herb, the seed is a known antibiotic, 

and its tap root is a popular root vegetable in Asia.

The most interesting fact about Burdock is its link to Velcro.

"After taking his dog for a walk in the early 1940's, George de Mestral, a Swiss inventor, 

became curious about the seeds of the burdock plant that had attached themselves to his clothes

 and to the dog's fur.  

Under a microscope, he looked closely at the hook-and-loop system that the seeds use 

to hitch hike on passing animals aiding seed dispersal, 

and he realized that the same approach could be used to join other things together. 

 The result was Velcro".

In the end, quite an inspiring plant!

(info and quote source: Wikipedia.org)

Linking at The Creative Exchange and Macro Monday.