Puzzles

[mark smyth]

I know what this is but do you?

If anyone wants to see the whole plant you'll have to wait for tomorrow

[Lvandelft]

Looks like Dahlia for me Mark??

[mark smyth]

I see how you got that. The leaves are long and narrow and the plants is about 12 inches 30 cm high

[Lvandelft]

Well Mark, during our trip the last few weeks I've seen many lovely single Dahlia (mostly species) in gardens.
They were all very good performers in autumn.

[Maggi Young]

Is it a species, Mark? That sounds a neat size.

[mark smyth]

It's a rubbish photo above because the sun was so bright yesterday.

I would say everyone who has this plant weeds it out before it gets to any size

[mark smyth]

oops - the upper flower is 50cm above the ground

[fleurbleue]

Eriophyllum lanatum Mark ? 

[Armin]

Mark,
is it Nyger Guizotia abyssinica ?
Some seed spread in your garden from your bird feeder?

[mark smyth]

You are good! Do you have it in your garden?

Grown for its oil in Africa, used as a flavour to curries in India and a bird seed in Europe and North America

Why is it referred to thistle seed in US?

[TheOnionMan]

You are good! Do you have it in your garden?

Grown for its oil in Africa, used as a flavour to curries in India and a bird seed in Europe and North America

Why is it referred to thistle seed in US?

an interesting article:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guizotia_abyssinica
The seed, technically a fruit called an achene, is often sold as bird seed as it is a favourite of finches, especially Goldfinch and Greenfinch. In the bird seed market, Nyjer is often sold or referred to as thistle seed. This is a misnomer due to early marketing of the seed as "thistle" to take advantage of the finches' preference for thistle.

Never heard of Nyger before Armin posted in this thread, meets my quota to learn something new every day

[Armin]

Mark, I don't have it.

After having read 'weeds it out' I immediately thought it must be something left over from winter bird feeder...
The rest was 5 min 'googling'
There are so many synonyms for Nyger...and I thought it was the correct english word.

[TheOnionMan]

The rest was 5 min 'googling'
There are so many synonyms for Nyger...and I thought it was the correct english word.

Yes, it is amazing how one can appear quasi-brilliant through quick googling

[Maggi Young]

Well done, Armin!

Thanks for finding the explantion for the Thistle naming from your googling efforts, McMark, I too had wondered why it had that name.

I have had thousands of these plants germinate in the garden.... but I didn't recognise it because I have never let them get bigger than 1cm !!
When we tried having a Nyjer feeder to encourage more Goldfinches the spillage rate (because of all the other birds jostling the feeder so much to try to get at the seed that the stuff was pouring out everywhere!) was so bad and the germination rate so huge that we abandoned the project after a few months. I was having to clear little forrests of seedlings from the ground and from every trough and container near the feeding stations.  I swore at the time that I felt the germination rate must be the best known.... it certainly looked and felt like a success rate of several hundred percent!! I know the seed it tiny but it truly seemed as though the seed was sprouting ten fold!
Worst part was the Goldfinches weren't that interested! 

[Stephenb]

I've only seen it spelt Niger Seed...

I grew it deliberately one year but the seed didn't mature...