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Woodland plants - identification please!
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sarahloo



Joined: 01 Jun 2007
Posts: 125
Location: Reading, Berkshire
PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 11 11:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Just out of curiosity - what happened when you ate the cuckoo pint? (if you don't mind my asking!)

Midland Spinner



Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 2931
Location: Under a green roof
PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 11 2:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I agree with Minamoo too - in fact I'd go further - once you get a good field guid (the collins one is good, but I prefer Rose's Wild Flower Key), practice using it to identify plants you already know by working through the keys etc, until you are sure that you can do that, then work on plants that you think you know, but aren't 100% sure about. That way you'll build up the skills to ID plants that you don't know at all.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45375
Location: yes
PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 11 3:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Treacodactyl wrote:
7 looks more like a Corydalis to me.
10 is commonly known as King Alfred's cakes or cramp balls and although it isn't edible it takes a spark when dry and smoulders nicely, you can keep an ember alight for well over half an hour.


burn well

Minamoo



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 1231

PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 11 4:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Treacodactyl wrote:
7 looks more like a Corydalis to me.
10 is commonly known as King Alfred's cakes or cramp balls and although it isn't edible it takes a spark when dry and smoulders nicely, you can keep an ember alight for well over half an hour.


When i first started foraging I got the two names confused and called them King Alfred's balls.

hedgehogpie



Joined: 02 May 2006
Posts: 684
Location: Kent
PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 11 8:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I admire your enthusiasm, where you are now is at the bottom of a fabulous but steep learning curve (and probably a lifelong obsession!). Books, photographs and asking on the 'net won't fill in all the gaps but you're making a start.

Even joining a group is no real guarantee if the person leading it isn't as proficient as they could be (every man and his dog seem to be running foraging courses these days) or is no good at communicating the biggest lessons you need to learn which is always, always err on the side of caution. Never take anything for granted so check and re-check before you jump in and remember to give yourself time to learn properly.

It's exciting but you don't want to do yourself or anyone else serious damage. It's never wrong to ask - it's the fool who doesn't, not the person who acknowledges that they need to.

1. Too small and the leaves are immature to id, could be a tree seedling such as sycamore (Acer pseudoplatantus)

2. Possibly a Campion (Silene dioica - red campion, or Silene latifolia - white campion).

3. No idea, I'd need to see that one at a more avanced state of growth.

4. Hedge Garlic (Alliaria petiolata)

5. Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium)

6. Ground Elder (Aegopodium podagraria)

7. Greater Celandine (Chelidonium majus)

8. The red leaves bottom right are Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) the other leaves Doves foot cranesbill (Geranium molle)

9. Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)

10. Cramp Ball fungus (Daldinia concentrica)

11. Mica cap (Coprinus micaceus)

Try to learn to recognise and use the botanical names as well as the common ones - they're a good way of pinning down an indentification when you're checking resources for info as common names can be variable countrywide.

nerion



Joined: 13 Mar 2011
Posts: 38

PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 11 10:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Many thanks for your reply! As I said in another thread, the books are on the way (to join those I already have) and I've spoken to a member of the British Mycological Society with a view to joining him on forays.

I may be a newbie but I'm trying to be a responsible one. The horror stories I've read about eating the wrong mushrooms fill me with dread and I don't want to be hooked up to a dialysis machine - or worse - thanks very much.

hedgehogpie



Joined: 02 May 2006
Posts: 684
Location: Kent
PostPosted: Wed Apr 13, 11 10:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

You're attitude is exactly right. Don't ever stop asking, questioning the answers or lose your enthusiasm.

It's great seeing someone just getting onto the path. I've personally been quietly obsessed with wild food one way or another for over 30 years now & it gives me enormous pleasure to watch someone else discovering what's likely to be a lifelong passion. Good luck to you!

nerion



Joined: 13 Mar 2011
Posts: 38

PostPosted: Wed Apr 13, 11 11:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

hedgehogpie wrote:
You're attitude is exactly right. Don't ever stop asking, questioning the answers or lose your enthusiasm.

It's great seeing someone just getting onto the path. I've personally been quietly obsessed with wild food one way or another for over 30 years now & it gives me enormous pleasure to watch someone else discovering what's likely to be a lifelong passion. Good luck to you!


Awww, thank you so much. Hugh FW has a lot to answer for!

hedgehogpie



Joined: 02 May 2006
Posts: 684
Location: Kent
PostPosted: Thu Apr 14, 11 9:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

In my case it began when I was 7 with a very old book by a guy called Ernest Thompson Seton, another equally ancient one by L.C Cameron and then along came Richard Mabey and Ray Mears!

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35056
Location: Devon
PostPosted: Thu Apr 14, 11 9:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I started with the Flower Fairy books.

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