Identification help --- edible?

16 years ago

I am SO excited to find this forum! I am scouring the fields and forests with Euell Gibbons and Bradford Angier's books in hand, but being a complete newbie, I find myself unsure of most things and positively clueless about the rest.

I wonder if anyone could help me identify a few of the plants I looked at today. I'm hoping to 'get a grip' on the few plants that are out for winter before the spring/summer explosion comes up and makes things much more challenging. I took about 15 different (unidentified) plant photos today alone but will post them a few at a time, if that's all right.

These, I'm totally unsure of:

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The toothy lobed guy, I thought I'd seen in my books, but now I can't find much like it.

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On the right, same mystery plant.

On the left, I originally thought maybe purslane, but now I know better -- it's not succulent at all, very dainty.

It grows tallish with those spiral layers going all the way up, but the leaves are tiny.

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This is a very furry, succulent plant. You could drink from the leaves. Not much of a taste. :)

Someone in the NE who tramps through the woods in winter has probably seen all these plants a lot -- any suggestions on what they might be are welcome.

Comments (8)

fatamorgana2121
16 years ago
I believe the first plant is some type of avens (Geum sp.). I included a link below to a picture of the water avens because it had a nice leaf picture.

Hard to see details of the leaves in the second picture but here goes. Fuzzy leaves in a rosette (here in Wastern NY State) tend to often be common mullein (Verbascum thapsus). But the leaves don't look mullein like. They look more primrose (Oenothera sp.) like. Evening primroses are reasonably common. Compare pictures of the leaves of these plants to the plant you have. See if one of them matches.

One word of warning, identification is fun. So is finding some wild edibles but be very careful! You should never taste anything that is not identified as safe! Plants can feed us, heal us, and kill us. Take care and be smart.

FataMorgana

Here is a link that might be useful:
carol23_gw
16 years ago
The first is a Geum. Not sure which one.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=GEUM

The last plant looks like Verbascum thapsus, woolly mullein.

Here is a link that might be useful: Verbascum thapsus
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fatamorgana2121
16 years ago
Oops. I guess it is the third plant you were asking about that my mullein/primrose comments apply to.

The second is a baby plant and is hard to tell. Future leaves would probably look a bit different. It does, however, look rather cleavers like. Cleavers, bedstraw, and sweet woodruff are all in the Galium genus. Check out these for comparison.

FataMorgana
User
Original Author
16 years ago
This is incredibly exciting -- you guys are GOOD! Thank you so much for identifying these finds. I find it very hard to ID a plant that doesn't appear in my handful of guide books, unless you have a seasoned guide ... or the help of people like you. And when I was looking up the plants you suggested I found a few more I'd run across whose identities were previously a total mystery. LOVE it!

Very exciting, again! Thank you so much for taking the time and sharing your knowledge. Help like this transforms these attempts from something a little frustrating into something much more successful and encouraging.
User
Original Author
16 years ago
OK, I have one more question before the season changes! Until researching tonight I was convinced the plant below was an early, edible curly dock.

{{gwi:1052298}}

But, the leaves are sort of spear-shaped and have those long stems. And even if you account for the insect damage, they don't look particularly curly. On closer inspection as I check out the photo they do seem slightly toothy around the edges.

This is definitely one of the earliest plants to emerge almost anywhere in moist, open fields where the greens (like garlic mustard) thrive. So I'm hoping they make good salad greens, whatever they are. I'm sorry for the blurriness of the photo.
fatamorgana2121
16 years ago
It's not Rumex crispus. I included the USDA link to dock (Rumex sp.) pictures. Any other day I could tell you what this is...it's on the tip of my tongue but I can't seem to recall at the moment.

FataMorgana

Here is a link that might be useful: USDA Rumex pictures
User
Original Author
16 years ago
That is a fantastic web site you linked to, thanks.
fatamorgana2121
16 years ago
You're welcome! Enjoy browsing the USDA plant site. :)

FataMorgana