I can't work out what kind of plant this is, but it's clear from the photo that it once contained seeds that have now been dispersed into the passing air currents and carried from only one or two meters to perhaps hundreds of kilometers away.

I found a really old-looking, yet interesting, website that has some good information and photos about various seeds and the ways in which they travel. If you follow the link then you'll see what I mean by "old-looking". But, do excuse that, the first article on Waynes Word appears to be from 1994!

Please leave a comment if you know the name of this plant. At the time I asked, so I know her name is Nicole, but the name of her species, that's still unknown to me. :)