Propagation
Sow fresh seeds in situ during spring in a prepared bed with frost protection or sow seed when ripe and place in a cold frame to germinate.

Division of the clump during late spring to early summer.


Botanic information
Leaf: The erect or spreading dark green linear leaves are channelled with a dark brown basil sheath and are yellow-green towards the apex. The margin has obvious teeth towards the apex.

Flower: There are 4, 5 or 6 closely packed spikes that appear at the same level of the culm. The slender terminal spike is male and the female spikes are male at the base and are up to 20mm (ľin) long on a short peduncle.

Theyare held amongst the foliage or elongate horizontally across the ground on a slender culm up to 500mm (20in) long. The female flower is enclosed in a bladder-like perigynium consisting of 1-style and 2 or 3 stigmas. Thered-brown broadly ovate glumes have a short awn. They appear during spring.

Fruit: The tiny flattened orbicular 3-angled nut is surrounded by a persistent perigynium. The small seeds are viable but the plant is commonly reproduced vegetatively.