Nature's velcro

Two tiny fruits of Galium aparine, commonly known as cleavers, clivers, goosegrass, catchweed, stickyweed, robin-run-the-hedge, sticky willy, sticky willow, stickyjack, stickeljack, and grip grass.

Cleavers disperse themselves to pastures new with the help of furry animals. Their straggling, branching stems and leaves are covered in small hooked hairs and readily attach themselves to passing animals to be carried away to root themselves elsewhere. Later, the globular fruits also are covered with hooked hairs which cling to animal fur, aiding in seed dispersal.

Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral invented Velcro when, in 1941, he went for a walk in the woods and wondered if the burrs that clung to his trousers — and dog — could be turned into something useful.

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