Onion? Chive?

No, but the leaves are thin-walled, hollow tubes like that.

I'll go with Juncus effusus, the most common Soft Rush.

That's not it, Christopher, but still a great guess. Another hint ... it's related to one of our most detested weed groups. (Making it easy to grow, of course.)

I’m thinking your last clue means sedge ... so, one of the Cyperus, like papyrus or haspan?

You're on the trail, Jinx.

Think food.

Doesn't look like wild garlic, could it be related to wild garlic?

Wait, having read the first post completely, is it Rice ?

Not like rice, garlic or onion ... but Asian.

Hmm ... Eleocharis dulcis? Water chestnut?

Good guess and that would be a bullseye! Water chestnut is the biggest, tastiest nutsedge ever. Most of us have only had them as a tasteless, canned product. But fresh, they are sweet and delicious ... really, altogether different. This year I learned they can be a great patio plant. It takes only a single corm to grow a 5-gallon bucket's worth of sedge.

Yes! :D I would’ve never gotten it without your hint about it being Asian.

That was fun. Interesting, too ... I’ve never thought of growing these, and didn’t know how they tasted fresh. Thanks for a cool thread!

I never thought about trying to grow water chestnuts until this year and discovered that they were related to the detested nutsedge ... a giant version of it! In a watertight container, they're a nice, carefree, aquatic, full sun patio plant with a contemporary look. I haven't harvested any yet. Supposedly they form the "nuts" as the day length shortens, so we'll see soon how it goes. I've eaten them many times before and as far as flavor goes, there's no comparison between fresh and canned. I'm looking forward to the harvest and to making a nice plate of Kung Pao.

I found the 'clue' seriously misleading. Do you really think 'probably every person alive has come into contact with the "fruit" of this plant'?

Also probably not appropriate as a container plant except in the mildest of zones. Hard to maintain the consistently warm soil temps it requires in any but a semi-tropical climate.

And I agree with floral........calling a corm or other underground bulbous structure a "fruit" IS misleading.

It wasn't the word 'fruit' which I found misleading, since it's clearly in inverted commas. It was the suggestion that 'probably every person alive' had come into contact with it. In much of the world I'd maintain that it's exotic, at best, and more than likely largely unknown. If I stood in my local city centre with a bowl of water chestnuts I'm pretty sure few people could even name them. I was expecting something much more universal.

"Do you really think 'probably every person alive has come into contact with the "fruit" of this plant'?" Thinking first of my fellow countrymen, in every school cafeteria, water chestnuts (canned ones, of course) would show up on "chop suey day." Americans that have not had water chestnuts sometime in their life would be few to none. I'd imagine every Asian has had them. Isn't Asian food as pervasive in the UK as it is in the US? Few people might not know what a whole water chestnut looks like in spite of having seen and eaten the sliced ones dozens of times. I imagine the average European & Australian to have as much access to Chinese food. There are Chinese restaurants in Canada & Mexico & plenty of other places in Latin America & most places where tourists go. But I've forgotten about Africa. Just guessing, oops ... probably not a lot of water chestnut exposure there.

"... calling a corm or other underground bulbous structure a "fruit" IS misleading." Quotes around the word means it's a figurative fruit, not a literal one. Most places in the US have warm temps all summer long. And anywhere that's the case, a fast growing water chestnut could be a fun summer patio annual ... not a container plant that one will keep over.

While you're celebrating, Jinx, others may be lawyering up. :-)

I have pondered growing water chestnut before. I need to remind myself if it is possible up here.

If you are in not too high elevations of North Carolina, Christopher, there's no reason you couldn't grow it during the summer for something fun and pretty, with the possible payoff of a few corms at the end of the season. As a harvested food, they stay in good condition for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. If your summer nights are chilly, it might not work. You can only try.