strange plant - any ideas?

[IanS]

hi all
Well I'm stumped on this plant! I suspect its an alien, but maybe wrong! Any ideas? Thanks.

[Tiggrx]

have just commented in the Gallery - but looks like a female plant of Annual Mercury (Mercurialis annua)

[IanS]

hi Tiggrx
Thanks for that. I've just looked it up in Rose and see what you mean. The plant itself has just appeared in the scrubby bit of my back garden and has been flowering for a good week or two now.
cheers
Ian

[IanS]

Hmm not many images of the female about. Only the male in this site's Gallery too.

[Tiggrx]

I could probably go into my garden now and photograph several hundred seperate female plants

The male plants do tend to be more noticeable and would be more likely to attract a photographer. You can occasionally find plants with both male and female flowers.