would you eat it

[wareagle69]

so they always say never eat a wild edible unless you can 100 percent identify it, so what if you don't have 100 percent. for me it depends on the family, which is why i like thomas j eppels botany in a day and also the ontario agricultural book publication 505 from the omfra website, what this does it break down the plants into families, so if you learn small things to look for it helps you id the family which makes id allot easier, some plants have no poisionous family memebrs so if you know for example a plant is part of the goosefoot family, but not sure which species it is, me personally i would feel safe to consume it,
dosclaimer-i said me personally- not you

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

subtle differences, in most plants. take dandilion family all have the jagged leaves, all have reddish stems, all exude a white milk.....
even the chickory plant has dandilion like flowers(blue) reddish stems and jagged edge dandilion leaves.

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

minitureization of simular species is common a florida species of dandilion is tiny and its flower is smaller then a collar button, while other dandilions are the size of my palm and lemon yellow and still others have an orange coloration with black streaks but all are dandilions and all are edible and good.

[rwc1969]

As long as I could ID it as edible or non toxic I'd eat it. I do that with certain mushrooms. Boletes, lactarius, agaricus, sp. The exact name of a species is of little concern to me as long as I know it's not poisonous. I use the same method for cows and apples.

[Sourdough]

As long as I could ID it as edible or non toxic I'd eat it. The exact name of a species is of little concern to me as long as I know it's not poisonous. I use the same method for cows and apples.


rwc1969, I suggest you make that statement your signature on this forum. If you don't I will. I am especially fond of the cows and apples part.

[wareagle69]

so is that a yes, eugene?

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

As long as I could ID it as edible or non toxic I'd eat it. I do that with certain mushrooms. Boletes, lactarius, agaricus, sp. The exact name of a species is of little concern to me as long as I know it's not poisonous. I use the same method for cows and apples.

i love the ink caps and shaggy manes, the orange milk caps are awsome, here in fla the gold stalk and braggers bolete are common. good stuff.

i dont mess with the ceazers aminita, very dangerous......

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

so is that a yes, eugene?

inteuative decisions on eating plants, yes. yellow goats beard is one of those multi variable plants also. tender growth with reddish stems are universal. take japoneese knot weed for instance not dandilion but tender green leaves with reddish stem and leaf colorations, common to edible plants....and so is poke weed tender green with reddish stems, standard rule of thumb.

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

nite shades resemble tomato and potato because of the flowers.... but the leaves are dramaticaly different , easily distinguishable.

[wareagle69]

actually just id smart weed, right out my front door, funny how you can see somethiing every day, and woder what it is, i figured what family it was from but did not id positive until it bloomed and dug up the root, my neighbor has tons of it in his pasture and is more than happy for me to "harvest " it

[oneraindog]

WE you mentioned the book botany in a day. i have this book and have spent some time with it but not a whole lot. it seems to rely solely on identifying the flowering parts of the plant. what if you want to identify the plant when its not in flower. are you just relying on the info gathered when it was flowering?

[Ken]

actually just id smart weed, right out my front door.........

WE, I urge you to find and eat as much as you can. As least it won't hurt none. :innocent:

[rwc1969]

It's true hope. But, I always wash my cows and apples down with :pepsi:

Here's one that may need 100% ID though. http://s101.photobucket.com/albums/m50/shroomer69/Nature/?action=view&current=Othershroomandplants6-4thru8-13--2.jpg

[Sourdough]

It's true hope. But, I always wash my cows and apples down with :pepsi:

Here's one that may need 100% ID though. http://s101.photobucket.com/albums/m50/shroomer69/Nature/?action=view&current=Othershroomandplants6-4thru8-13--2.jpg


Looks like Cow Parsnip, it says wild carrot, but looks a lot like cow parsnip.

[ClayPick]

I’d eat it. Wild carrot (I call it Queen Anne’s Lace) often has the little dark floret in the middle of the flower which I call the blood spot. Worse thing you can do is confuse it with Poison Hemlock, lots of it grows here and it’s plain nasty! The leaves of hemlock are more fern like and have a hairless leaf stalk. The flower is similar but different when you see them side by side. Be careful!

[rwc1969]

I wasn't sure on that one hope. I put a ? mark after the title. According to Peterson's the hairy stem and purple central flower are key for queen Anne's lace/ wild carrot. Is that so? Claypick?

The descriptions in that book seem vague to this newb.

[Sourdough]

I wasn't sure on that one hope. I put a ? mark after the title. According to Peterson's the hairy stem and purple central flower are key for queen Anne's lace/ wild carrot. Is that so? Claypick?

The descriptions in that book seem vague to this newb.

Please...PLEASE....Don't take my, word because I don't know much about wild edibles. I only know that I loath Cow Parsnip, because it is so pervasive here, and can cause third degree burns or death just from it touching ones skin, or inhaling the smoke if it is burning.

[Ken]

Perhaps we should consult an expert.........

http://johngushue.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451f25369e20105364d69f5970b-800wi

[ClayPick]

I wasn't sure on that one hope. I put a ? mark after the title. According to Peterson's the hairy stem and purple central flower are key for queen Anne's lace/ wild carrot. Is that so? Claypick?

The descriptions in that book seem vague to this newb.

I’ve just been familiar with it for as long as I can remember. Here’s a few pics that might help. The rabbit knows for sure.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/Singing_Stream/2003_0202image0011.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/Singing_Stream/2003_0202image0017.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/Singing_Stream/2003_0202image0012.jpg

[wareagle69]

WE you mentioned the book botany in a day. i have this book and have spent some time with it but not a whole lot. it seems to rely solely on identifying the flowering parts of the plant. what if you want to identify the plant when its not in flower. are you just relying on the info gathered when it was flowering?

usually yes, that is why it takes so long to learn wild edibles id it by leaf and flower then next year see leaf and stem but then wait for flower to positive id then gather in 3rd year and then figure out how to eat it.
if it is not in flower and i have not id it before, i would not use it alhtough there are some you could do by smell, not sure if this is the best way, but if you are learning on your won then thats how it is

[wareagle69]

Please...PLEASE....Don't take my, word because I don't know much about wild edibles. I only know that I loath Cow Parsnip, because it is so pervasive here, and can cause third degree burns or death just from it touching ones skin, or inhaling the smoke if it is burning.

has that happened to you hope?
from everything i have read and expeineced from cow parsnip is that the only time the dermatitis can happen is if you cut it open and get the juice on you, i regularly handle parrnip but i dug it up and use the root, but burning is no good same as poison ivy

[rwc1969]

Nice pics Claypick, those do help.

WE, a few years back we had a supposed breakout of Cow parsnip here and the media made it sound like all you had to do is be downwind of the stuff. I can't say for sure I've ever seen it, but I'd have to think in all my years roamin the fields and woods I'd have at least brushed up against it by now.

[wareagle69]

i've heard that about giant hogweed, but i've got lots of the parsnip in my pastures, i personally have not had a problem

[Sourdough]

has that happened to you hope?
from everything i have read and expeineced from cow parsnip is that the only time the dermatitis can happen is if you cut it open and get the juice on you, i regularly handle parrnip but i dug it up and use the root, but burning is no good same as poison ivy

No, Happened to my neighbor, They had to fly him to the Seattle Burn Center. On a Sunny day the little hairs on the stem can cause severe blisters, like severe sunburn. People get in big trouble mountain biking on single tracks over grown with Cow Parsnip on a sunny day.
I have regular small burns, several times per summer, when I bump into it by accident. As I said I loath the stuff.

[wareagle69]

i have heard of some folks being photosensitive to it, i was handleing it long before i read about it causing blistering, and like i said from my expeience it doesn't happen to me just from handleing it, may have to try cutting it open, and then also have jewelweed close by

[Ken]

One edible that will cause skin burns is a variety of taro root (colocasia esculenta) known as the inhame (pronounced: een-YUM) that grows on the island of Sao Miguel in the Azores. The inhame thrives in the semi-tropical Sao Miguel climate, and in the first photo is seen growing in a marshy field located immediately after the confluence of a cold fresh water stream and a very hot volcanic spring.

Both the leaves and the corm (the bulbous plant root) are edible, but require careful handling, due to the presence of high levels of calcium oxalate. When boiling the potato-like corm, two changes of water are recommended to remove most of the calcium oxalate. Consumption of poorly cooked inhames can lead to severe gastrointestinal problems.

The cooked corm is generally a pink-gray color, and is pastier in texture as compared to a potato. The taste is that of a nutty and more earthy-flavored potato, and is quite delicious.

Unfortunately, poor Ken must avoid these plants due to the high calcium oxalate content, which promotes kidney stones.


Inhames growing in the Azores. I walked on this wall in 1992.

http://img.olhares.com/data/big/71/714726.jpg


The raw uncooked inhame alongside the cooked inhame.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_esD6aRur2q0/RnKwQe4K5lI/AAAAAAAAAJU/_P55RgXiva0/s400/inhame+na+folha+com+dois+inhames+este.jpg

[wareagle69]

OMG. people read this ken actually posted something useful, well after 5,149 attempts i guess it was bound to happen sooner or later:clap:

[Ken]

OMG. people read this ken actually posted something useful, well after 5,149 attempts i guess it was bound to happen sooner or later:clap:

Sorry. I had a moment of weakness. :sneaky2:

[rebel]

The title asks "would you eat it"? If you gotta ask the answer is... NO.

[rwc1969]

WE, I think it was Giant hogweed now that you mention it. To us newbs they all look and sound the same.:blushing: