Flowers inside the flower?

The North American flowering dogwood is a tree that is known for its white flowers of springtime. But did you know that the white flower petals are not really flower petals at all? What is generally considered white petals are actually special leaves called bracts.

At the center of the four bracts is where the true flowers are. After the bracts open and before the dozen or so tiny yellow flowers open, the group of green flower buds appear to be the center of a big, white, four- petaled flower. But it is not. The buds each open in a few days, and the yellow flowers appear.

In my photo you can identify six buds that have yet to open. You can count at least eight flowers that are open. And you should be able to identify four that have dropped their yellow petals and show seeds that have begun to grow. Each yellow flower has the potential to produce one seed. I took this photo on Monday, March 29.