Thank you so much for the non-political, non-technical, non- mechanical, yet canal-related topic, Sheila.
Could your mystery plant possibly be equisedum (horsetail)? Not too long ago I was walking between the Delaware River and Delaware and Raritan Canal (New Jersey) and was fascinated by large patches of what appeared to be miniature bamboo. After a little research, I discovered it to be equisedum, a beautiful, prehistoric-looking plant that (at least from personal observation) prefers a watery habitat. Unfortunately it can be quite invasive, so probably not a good choice for home gardens. http://tinyurl.com/5sewbr http://rctravelers.com/images/K7.jpg Hope this helps, Barbara PS. More threads about the natural aspects of canal life would be very welcome. On Oct 17, 2008, at 1:13 PM, Sheila Napier wrote: > Is discussion of the canal scenery off topic? I don't know. Anyway - > > Last year we were puzzled by a new crop seen from the lower reaches > of the Nene where it was growing well. It appears to be a bamboo like > plant with a straight leafless stem ending in a large grass like > leaf. It was growing in clumps about four feet tall and several feet > across. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
