Floris van Breugel / Paintbrush (Castilleja parviflora) flowering in withered sage bush, White Mountains, California, USA, July

Dong Lei / Poppy (Meconopsis punicea) in habitat, Serxu, Shiqu county, Sichuan Province, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. August.

Dong Lei / Blue poppy (Meconopsis lyrata) Kawakarpo Mountain, Meri Snow Mountain National Park, Yunnan Province, China.

Ashley Cooper / Withered crops dried up during drought, Beijing, China. March 2009.

Nick Upton / Autumn crocus / Meadow saffron / Naked ladies (Colchicum autumnale) flowering in coppiced woodland long after its leaves have withered, GWT Lower Woods reserve, Gloucestershire, UK, September.

Bernard Castelein / Marsh helleborine (Epipactis palustris) flowers, Groot Schietveld, Wuustwezel, Belgium, June.

Chris Mattison / Ivy leaved cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium) in flower, Italy, November.

Ross Hoddinott / Common poppies (Papaver rhoeas) backlit in evening light, Polly / Porth Joke, Pentire, Newquay, Cornwall, UK, July.

Jan Vermeer / European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) on withered Large-flowered Evening Primrose (Oenothera erythrosepala), Harderwijk, Netherlands

Ingo Bartussek / Black eyed susan {Rudbeckia hirta} in full bloom and with withered flowers, Germany

Jose B. Ruiz / Withered Carob tree {Ceratonia siliqua} Alicante, Spain

Nigel Cattlin / Ripening red, green and yellow fruit / berries on Wild arum / Cuckoo pint / Lords and ladies (Arum maculatum) Berkshire, England, UK. June