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[Clansgian AT wmconnect.com]

> >I saved a few spinach plants from harvest last week and am wondering how 
> to tell male from female, needing both to make next year's seed. Anyone 
> know?

Spinach flowers are unisexual until the flower opens, so you can't tell for 
sure until then.

The flowers have no pedals.  Male flowers have four stamens  and the femal a 
single carpel.

But here's a thing, and it's pretty reliable, see if it doesn't work out this 
way.
 
On the stalk of a male plant, there will never be more than three whorls of 
flowers.  On a female stalk there will never be more than two whorls.  That  
doesn't cinch it, but it's a good clue.

James   </HTML>