I have a small clump of these annuals and want more next year. What are the seeds ? Are they the tiny flecks in the flower head, or are they further down at the end of each bristle ? [ 26. June 2007, 11:20 AM: Message edited by: MacGardener ]
Hi Mac. I don't know. I am growing some myself from purchased seed, which have just developed their flower heads, and would also like to know the answer. I think we won't know till the tiny flowers have been pollinated and the seeds start to grow. However I suspect that they will seed themselves anyway like most grasses.
I have two plants purchased from a plant stall, 30p each. I think they seed themselves around a bit like Briza. See here http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1786/index.html
MacGardener - I presume you have found your seeds. I just had a look at mine a couple of days ago and saw all the seeds as little flecks sitting on the surface of the head. If you run your hand over the head, they stick to your hand. The seeds have set earlier than I thought. I just hope and presume that the heads continue for a good length of time.
PeterS, I also thought that these 'flecks' were the seeds. I collected loads of fleck & sowed some of them to see if they were seeds. Nothing germinated. Hence the original question. I don't know if I have duff seed, or am sowing chaff !
MacGardener - your original question becomes clearer. I have just had a look at the seed in my seed packet (I always sow only half a packet - leaving some spare for next year or in case of disaster) What we are looking at is this http://www.funghiitaliani.it/uploads/monthly_05_2007/post-4822-1180377936.jpg . But this is not the seed in my seed packet. This is some sort of chaff. But it is very regular. I wonder if these are the flower petals, which would explain why they were loose on the surface. The seeds in my packet look much more like this. http://seeds.eldoc.ub.rug.nl/IMGS/covers/root/Poaceae/Lagurus/ovatus/5544.jpg It is probably too early for the seeds yet. Like any flower (yes a grass is a flower - just an unimpressive one), after the flower petals have fallen off it takes some time for the seed to grow and ripen. I have been caught the same way. I have just collected a load of this chaff also thinking it was seed.
