"K" wrote in message
...
Stewart Robert Hinsley writes
In message , Sumgod
writes
Hello One & All!

Greeting from Nether Lurking, Mid-Wales.

Briefly, an unknown plant popped up in the side of a pot a while ago
(season
before last) and out of curiosity I potted it on. I now have a catkined
curiosity. Anyone any ideas what it might be?

Pics he http://preview.tinyurl.com/367d8t

Apologies if I've screwed up with the pics, made 'em too big or whatever,
but I'm only ham-fisted bloke!

Many thanks - Chris




Try Carex pendula.

Description from Stace is "Densely tufted; stems to 1.8m, trigonous (i.e.
three-angled), smooth; lowest bract usually shorter than inflorescence
("catkin"), with long sheath; ...", and from the key "Female spikes 3mm
wide, with peduncle (i.e. stalk of "catkin") more or less entirely
sheathed".

Sedges (e.g. Carex) are "easily told from" grasses "by the absence of a
bract (palea) *above* each flower and usually solid, often trigonous or
triquetrous stems".

Grows into quite a big clump, about 4ft high, and looks quite striking.
Seeds itself around with enthusiasm - worth uprooting the seedlings if you
don't want to be over-run.

Will grow in almost total shade - I have one under a medlar tree, which
has remained at about 18 inches tall.

They certainly do make big clumps and seed about very freely. I think they
are native so it is nice to encourage it a bit.
We inherited a HUGE one in in a bed our current garden and it took 2 of us a
few days to dig it out and a few years to remove all the seedlings. We have
kept some smaller ones in other parts of the garden.

Des in Dublin

--
Kay