Fertilisation of an opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. The picture shows a background of hair-like cells (orange/brown) arising from the female stigmatic surface of the capsule of the flower. The blue spheres are pollen grains, which are male. When it encounters the stigmatic hairs, the grain germinates to produce a long pollen tube (green). Each pollen tube descends to the base of the hair, penetrates the lid of the capsule, and delivers two sperm cells to the ovaries within. Fertilisation of the eggs within each ovary results in the formation of the seeds. P. somniferum capsules are large, and on average produce 6-7000 seeds. The seeds are widely used in baking and have many alleged health benefits. Seeds in retail commerce are surface cleaned to remove traces of opiate chemicals. High levels of omega-6 fatty acids within the seeds may represent a disbenefit. Mag x 750 at 10x8