Spring sneaks up on us. Little feelers of the season are already present in the city, like American Woodcocks flying down Broadway, crocuses blooming, witchhazel tendrils gnarling out from branches. I just noticed these catkins hanging on State Street. A number of plant families have these pendent flower clusters, which usually depend on wind pollination (but not always, as in Salix). Our word catkin comes from the Dutch word for kitten.
Kitten Tails
2 responses to “Kitten Tails”
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‘Tis the beginning of the season for sneezin’.
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Catkin! I never knew that–and they do look like kitten tails, I never noticed. Just the sort of details that you give all the time that add to our enjoyment of nature, “even” in NYC!
Backyard and Beyond 
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