Duncan Mcewan / Scots pine {Pinus sylvestris}, mature cones releasing seeds, Inverness-shire, Scotland, UK

Jose B. Ruiz / Male Red crossbill on pine tree (Loxia curvirostra) Spain

Philippe Clement / Verdigris toadstools {Stropharia aeruginosa} Belgium

Philippe Clement / Open and closed cones from Maritime pine {Pinus pinaster} Belgium

Philippe Clement / Pine cones stripped by Red squirrel {Sciurus vulgaris} Belgium - remains of feeding

Adrian Davies / Bristlecone pine tree {Pinus aristata} Close-up of 'bristly' immature cone, Inyo county, California, USA.

Adrian Davies / Bristlecone pine tree {Pinus aristata} Close-up of 'bristly' immature cone, Inyo county, California, USA.

Niall Benvie / Scots pine {Pinus sylvestris} flower. UK.

Phil Chapman / Pine cones and Hazel nuts eaten by Grey Squirrel {Sciuruscarolinensis} UK.

Bengt Lundberg / Red Squirrel portrait {Sciurus vulgaris} Sweden,

Tim Fitzharris / Agave (Agave sp) plants with pine cones, North America

Duncan Usher / Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) has stored Pine (Pinus sp) cones in the bark of a tree, Europe

Jan Vermeer / Scotch Pine (Pinus sylvestris) cones with frost, Europe

Sumio Harada / Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) storing pine cones underground for the winter, Rocky Mountains, North America

Mark Moffett / Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) cones overgrown with lichen, Sequoia National Park, California

Tim Fitzharris / Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja miniata) surrounded by pine cones, South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Duncan Mcewan / Scots pine {Pinus sylvestris}, developing cones, June Inverness-shire, Scotland

Mike Potts / Red squirrel feeding on pine cone {Sciurus vulgaris} Lancashire, UK

Doug Wechsler / Pitch pine tree {Pinus rigida} cone, Pine Barrens, New Jersey, USA (Cones sealed until fire)

Doug Wechsler / Cone and needles of pitch pine tree {Pinus rigida}, Pine Barrens, New Jersey, USA (Cones sealed until fire)

Duncan Mcewan / Scots pine tree {Pinus sylvestris}, close up of mature cones, Inverness-shire, Scotland

Jose B. Ruiz / Scots pine tree with cones {Pinus sylvestris} Spain

Brian Lightfoot / Scots pine flower with cone developing {Pinus sylvestris} Aviemore, Scotland, UK

Konstantin Mikhailov / Pine cone and needles {Pinus pumila} Baikal mtns, Russia

Niall Benvie / Scots pine cone. Scotland, UK, Europe

Dietmar Nill / Male Red crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) on pine tree, Germany

Duncan Mcewan / Lodgepole pine tree {Pinus contorta} young shoot, May, Inverness-shire, Scotland

Duncan Usher / Pine (Pinus sp) cones consumed by a Eurasian Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), Europe

David Welling / Bristlecone pine cones & new growth - ancient trees {Pinus aristata} White Mountains, USA

David Welling / Bristlecone pine tree with cones, (Pinus aristata) White Mountain California USA

David Welling / Bristlecone pine tree cones (Pinus aristata) California USA. White Mountain

Niall Benvie / Scots pine tree cone {Pinus sylvestris} eaten by a red squirrel. Scotland.

Brian Lightfoot / Scots pine tree cone {Pinus sylvestris} cones. Scotland.

Niall Benvie / Capercaille droppings {Tetrao urogallus} Abernethy, Scotland, UK

Konstantin Mikhailov / Dwarf cedar pines {Pinus punula} Russia Sikhote-alin range Primorskiy (Ussuriland)