plant quiz

[your_comforting_company]

this one ought to be easy enough. very distinct characteristics. hopefully the pics will allow enough observations. Took me a few days to figure it out.
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[Ken]

Wild Geranium?

[Winnie]

Yup I concur, wild Geranium.We call it Cranesbill.

[your_comforting_company]

Cranesbill and storksbill are other names for wild geranium! I had to wait for it to get the tell-tale beak on it to get a positive ID.
Good Eye guys! I believe this to be the carolinianum species for it's deep lobes which are deeply serrated.

[your_comforting_company]

Winnie, it is a naturalized plant from your part of the world. I'm amazed that we have so many plants here that you have there too! I spoke with the County Extension Agent yesterday and he confirmed it to be the carolinian species which is slightly more adapted somehow to that niche. He's a busy guy this time of year, with farmers getting fields ready and what-not, so it might be a little while before we can start taking plant walks, but it looks like I may have found me a teacher! My youngest son is in 4-H and has a lot of interest in plants too, so he's thinking now that he may want that job as his career when he's older. The honor I would feel for one of my children to become the guy that helps balance nature and civilization.
Is this plant widespread? I mean there are folks here from all over the globe. I wonder how the plant might have adapted to different environments. I was surprised that it grew as far North as Ken's locale and Winnie recognized it from across the pond.

[Winnie]

In this area we have just two varieties of Cranesbill, the Meadow Cranesbill and Herb Robert. They seem to be locally abundant. Meadow Cranesbill is common along the roadside where I live, but only in a five mile area, work that one out?! Herb Robert is quite rare here, because it seems to like growing on old walls. Lots of other wild flowers though!
I'm really pleased that you've found someone to help you with plant ID!

[your_comforting_company]

I'm trying to do plants that are easily recognizable, especially for those new to foraging. Here's one I've been munching on today since it was so abundant in the yard we were working. hopefully the pics are clear enough.
Basal leaves
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flower stalk
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bonus points if you can name the plant in the background in the first pic

[crashdive123]

Field Sorrel (Rumex acetosella)?

[your_comforting_company]

Bingo! Some folks around here call it rabbit grass, or sour grass. The name given to it in the books is Sheep-Sorrel.
How about the bonus question? I know the pic isn't too clear in the background, but I imagine it's abundant enough to recognize at a passing glance.

one thing I'd like to point out is the use of the Latin name. A plant may have several or dozens of generic names, but only ONE Latin name. I'm slowly (ehem... very slowly) learning the latin names of plants, and when talking with someone else about specific plants, that is really the ONLY way to know you are talking about the exact same plant. Rumex acetosella.

Way to go Crash! Good eye

[crashdive123]

YCC - my knowledge of edible plants is weak. This is something that I had to research to answer. Thanks for the thought provoking quizes.

[your_comforting_company]

My pleasure. It's positive reinforcement for myself too.
I had the enjoyment of taking lots of plant pics yesterday. Who's ready for another one?

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here's a hint. It's one of my favorite things to eat! and they are EVERYWHERE for several months now. I've been eating on these since October. A field full of them.
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[Justin Case]

There really isnt much in the way of wild plants where I live, Just dirt and rocks LOL, there are a few spring wild flowers, but thats about it

[your_comforting_company]

The last one has been up for a few days now.
Do we need another hint? perhaps a written description?

[Ted]

Had to look in the book ,type of mustard?

[your_comforting_company]

yessir, it is a type of mustard. close attention to the veins in the petals, and the coloring of the flower stalks is a dead giveaway. You'll also notice the shape of the last lobe of the leaf.

Four sepals, Four petals, Six stamens : four long and two short. Petals arranged in an X shape. Flowers and seedpods arranged in a spiraling raceme. Patterns of the Brassicaceae (Mustard) Family.

Anyone care to guess the species? It's gonna mess with your mind if I tell you the answer...

[Canadian-guerilla]

The last one has been up for a few days now.
Do we need another hint? perhaps a written description?

wild radish ?

[your_comforting_company]

I think we have a winner
The yellow petals fade whiter as the plant grows older and the veins in the petals become more defined. It's a delicious winter green, but the seeds might cause some digestive irritation.
excellent observations everyone!

[your_comforting_company]

It's good practice to start identifying plants that have very distinct characteristics. The Geranium is easily recognizable by it's leaf alone, whether it has a flower or seeds, or not. Of course for the novice, like myself, you want to observe the whole plant as it grows.
Sheep sorrel is similarly recognized by it's basal leaves shaped with little "ears".
Some plants however, will need to grow up a little to show it's true self. Many of the mustard plants look the same when they are small, and you have to look at the details of more mature plants. The raceme of seedpods and the flowers are tell-tale characteristics of the mustard family plants, but there are a LOT of them. Little details like the fading flowers or the pinkish flower stalks are the kinds of details you have to look for for positive ID.

And I cannot stress enough the importance of positive identification. Brassica arvensis looks VERY similar to wild radish, but the petals do not fade and expose their venation the way the radish does. Even the flowers are similar in size. If you go messing around with members of the Apiaceae family, you are asking for a quick torturous death. Mustard family plants are safe in moderation. Hemlock and Wild Carrot are in the same family; One is completely safe to eat, the other will kill you in minutes.

Just because I posted these pictures and said that these are the plants I say they are, PLEASE RESEARCH THEM YOURSELF! DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT!!
I thought these common and unique plants would be good exercise for those new to wild edibles, and would help newcomers to understand the kinds of observations that need to be made. Every time I key out and identify a wild plant, edible or not, I feel like I've learned and made progress. Then I spend a LOT of time going over the details, repeating the Latin names, and commiting details to memory.

If anyone would like me to clarify characteristics of any of these few plants, please feel free to ask. I would like to help anyone learn to be a good observer for their OWN safety. It literally took eons of trial and error to figure out the toxicity (or safety) of wild plants, and as you can imagine, many people died in the process. Many people still die each year thinking they've found an edible plant and eating some, only to wind up in the hospital, or graveyard. Don't be one of those!
I don't know many plants, and I'm definately no expert. The ones I do know, I'm still using as practice for observation.

[Winnie]

My parents did the plant ID thing with me and my sisters in reverse. They showed us what WASN'T edible and left the rest to us. So I know what most(not all) poisonous plants and fruit looks like. I guess it made sense to them. It kept us relatively safe as children, there's nothing more likely to put you off eating something than the three words "it's deadly poisonous"
There are some lookey likey plants here too that I would not eat, because the difference is difficult to see unless you're an expert.

[your_comforting_company]

As my kids are learning plants, I tell them the same thing. If I ask them questions about a plant they could ID yesterday, and they get even ONE question wrong I tell them not to eat ANYTHING!
Thanks for the input!