This month's Natural Mystery comes from the woods near Siren, Wisconsin. They were plucked from the tips of the thin branches of a small tree. The question is "What is this?"

An ideal answer will identify the tree to at least the family, describe what these are, explain how you arrived at your answer, and explain how you eliminated other candidates and possibilities. Your explanations will help others benefit from your process as you puzzle through this.

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Answers are due by December 2.