Plant Identification

[Arborius]

Just curious if anyone can Identify any of these plants in my area and if they have any value. I know a few but thought I'd post them anyway.


Ahttp://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/Arborius1518/Picture089.jpg

Bhttp://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/Arborius1518/Picture086.jpg

Chttp://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/Arborius1518/Picture090.jpg

Dhttp://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/Arborius1518/Picture094.jpg

Ehttp://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/Arborius1518/Picture108.jpg

Fhttp://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/Arborius1518/Picture109.jpg

Ghttp://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/Arborius1518/Picture114.jpg

[Arborius]

Wow those pics are huge. I know what A and B are and some of what there use is. The others I have no idea what there called or what to do with them.

[Chuck]

#5 looks like Bedstraw it has some medicinal value but I can't remember what.

[Arborius]

I considered numbering them but went with letters by #5 do you mean E :D Not sure how much it will help in identifying but I'm in the Northern panhandle of West Virginia Northeastern U.S.A. I'll name what I think the first 2 are let me know if I'm wrong.
A mullien which is a medicine
B garlic mustard its from Europe and is killing off native wild plants but its edible
D Might be stinging nettle not sure
G is a moss or algie but I'm not sure if it has a specific name or use

[Chuck]

E -sorry I didn't see the letters.

[Arborius]

No problem
I ate some of the garlic mustard about 9 hours ago and I'm still alive so even if I identified it wrong its still edible. It wasn't very good though it might be better cooked.

[Rick]

You could always touch D. If it really really hurts then you are probably right.:D

[Arborius]

You could always touch D. If it really really hurts then you are probably right.:D

Ive been pulling out a lot of this stuff along with other weeds to put in a garden it doesnt seem to be bothering me but I still thunk its stinging nettle.

[wareagle69]

what are your methods for id a plant? what books are you using, the garlic plant did you smell it first? just curious you are in a great area not unlike mine

[Arborius]

I use "Edible Wild Plants And Useful Herbs" I also use web sites like "eat the weeds" Yes I smelled the garlic mustard its got a mild garlic smell I spent a few days looking it up on the web before trying it I also posted the pics on another forum I visit and got a few suggestions of what it was.

[Rick]

Don't forget the universal edibility test. You might not always need it but if you're only 99% sure then it's the better route.

[canid]

and don't forget that it's not completely reliable and should be used only as a last resort unless you know what the probable toxins or toxin groups might be.

[Arborius]

I Itemize as explained on eattheweed.com
I. Identify type of plant
T. Is it the proper Time of year for plant to grow or harvest
E. Is it the right environment for the plant to grow in and is it a healthy environment for the plant. Is it near sewage chemicals car exhaust or was area treated with fertilizer or weed killer.
M. Means or Manner of preparation. What part of plant is edible and does it need cooked

Once I'm comfortable I eat a small amount and then keep my phone handy in case I screwed up. I haven't screwed up yet. I suggest washing plant before eating also to avoid getting worms.

[Rick]

Yes, you have, Arborius. Where do you think this forum is located? Muhahahahahaha.

[grazer]

a. mullein - medicinal, smoke the leaves for bronchial relief. Good toilet paper.
b&d. both look like garlic mustard to me, definitely not nettle.
c. don't remember the grass variety, but all grasses are edible
e. vinca, no use that I know of.
f. teasel, OK if you need a comb
g. pond scum? All algeas are edible, some are terrible, some absorb local pollutants.

[Arborius]

Thanks grazer. I'm not sure what d is but its not garlic mustard it hasn't flowered yet but it has the hairs like stinging nettle and when I pulled the young shoots my fingers seemed a little numb I might get daring and rub it on my arm.

[Leon]

Only one i know is F as mentioned above. The Teasel comb application is usally for "teasing" wool fibres, its a traditional technique but i don't know much about it. Very handy though as the plant itself is a ready made tool with a practical appplication.

grazer: Be very careful! Not all algaes are edible, red algae is deadly poisonous and i believe some green algaes may be too. At least that is the case in England, perhaps those algaes are no present in North America, but one concern regardless is that if the water is bad then that could affect edible algae. Theres much more suitable edible plants available to risk algae in my opinion.

[crashdive123]

Good point on the algae. We've experienced some large algae blooms here that have caused many some repiratory problems.

[the edge]

I don't know what G is. Thank's for putting this up.

[Rick]

Sorry. I'm not into pond scum. Probably good with hot sauce but I'm not touching it. Right in there with sushi, slugs and haggis.

[Ken]

Sorry. I'm not into pond scum. Probably good with hot sauce but I'm not touching it. Right in there with sushi, slugs and haggis.

I agree with you. About the pond scum and haggis. Didn't care for the seasoning in the haggis either time I tried it.

[Rick]

See, Tony? See? I'm not the only one! Haggis is yucky. So there!

[danmc]

As others have mentioned, the first one is mullein. In the first year it will have basal leaves only (i.e. coming right out of the ground). In its second year it will send up a flower stalk that ranges from 3 feet or so (based on some I've seen in Minnesota) up to 7 or 8 feet (based on some I've seen in Georgia). Besides the medicinal uses others have mentioned, the dry flower stalk is a very good spindle for making a fire with the hand drill method. I've had reasonable luck with a mullein stalk and a juniper (a.k.a. eastern red cedar) fireboard.

-Dan

[bulrush]

A. mullein, some parts edible or used as medicine.
B. garlic mustard. Leaves are edible raw or cooked. Highly invasive weed.
C. fox tail grass (aka Timothy grass?)
D. garlic mustard
E. vinca/periwinkle (there is one other name also)
F. teasel
G. algae

[clearwaterkelli]

teasle is the 6th
mullien is the 1st ..used for sinus ailments

[clearwaterkelli]

duck weed..lack of oxygen in the ater can make its take over a pond and kill everything in it

[Ken]

teasle is the 6th
mullien is the 1st ..used for sinus ailments

Hey! How about telling us a bit about yourself? Here's how we identify our Introductions Forum. http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=14

[lanahi]

D might be dead nettle (Lamium), which is in the mint family, and this looks definitely like a mint. It looks very much like the stinging nettle but does not sting. If yours doesn't sting, it's not a stinging nettle!
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/pictures/p07/pages/lamium-album-5.htm

A. Is definitely mullein.

[Winnie]

Leons right about algae, over here there's a rather innocuous looking, but killer blue-green algae. It's killed flocks of sheep that drank from water invaded by this and the water authorities now monitor all reservoirs for any blooms.

Periwinkle(vinca) has a multitude of medicinal uses, historically used to treat diabetes and aid blood clotting in open wounds. Periwinkle extract has also been used to treat leukaemia and demensia.(had a quick trawl on the web)

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

here is a video about identifying plants.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67eP_eMBKfk

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

here is another video by ramond mears called wild food...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeQA89OyNuM

[bulrush]

A: Mullein
B: Garlic mustard (invasive)
C: foxtail grass
D: garlic mustard
E: periwinkle aka myrtle
F: teasle
G: algae

[Beo]

Personally I think you can learn alot reading, then using pics as identifiers go into the bush, forest, or wherever and get some hands on trainging. Nothing beats hands on in my opinion.
Beo,

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

good point Beowolf65.i use petersons field guides. accurate, concise,with use and prepairation information.