Saturday, June 9, 2012

Greetings from the park a few minutes from my apartment!


The other evening after dinner I filled a backpack with my ID guides and foraging books and grabbed a basket, gloves, camera and my botany kit.  I sat down amongst the weeds to see what I could see.  I finally got a positive ID on one of the wild lettuces I've had my eye on.  Lactuca serriolaEdible when very young, but apparently not as tasty as Lactuca canadensis, according to Sam Thayer.  I also spent time with some plants of the Tragopogon genus, but I have to wait for a flower before I get a positive ID on the species.  I suspect T. pratensis or T. dubius.  I had a nibble of the flower buds and peduncles.  Not bad.  Will try some cooked next.  Also had my first taste of wild carrot flowering stalk.  Delicious!  Don't worry.  I was quite certain it was wild carrot and not one of the deadly poisonous members of the family.  Soon the sky turned very dark to the North West, with an approaching storm, so home I went.  IDed a chicory on the way!  Wish you were here.

2 comments:

J.Garlough said...

Growing up my pet rabbits LOVED the Lactuca serriola. Some evenings I let them out and they'd just inhale the stuff. Until now I've never considered nibbling on it myself.

Amber said...

Were they especially calm bunnies? I've read that lactucin contained in some lettuces has a sedative effect!