Bulrushes and Cattails

[Biddlesby]

Could somebody explain to me the whole confusion surrounding the nomenclature of Bulrushes and Cattails? True Bulrush and the like... Cattails are, of course, edible, but is the other thing?

[edit] Am also confused about cow parsley, hemlock and the other similar ones. Which apart from hemlock are not edible and how to tell apart?

Any help much appreciated.

 

[Toddy]

Believe it or not it's all an artist's fault

http://www.brerc.org.uk/groups/afg/bible.htm

This is a pretty straight forward explanation

White umbellifers are best explained in person out walking with someone who knows the leaf, the stem, the flower, & the site in appropriate season. Maybe not quite needed that fussily..... but it is the safest way to tell them apart.
Find one or two at a time and just get to *really* know them and then add in another couple next year. Thinking about how you yourself would describe a particular plant to someone else kind of tightens up the process in your own mind too.
Edibility? Angelica, alexanders, yarrow, sweet cicely.......all different, all to some extent edible, some very toxic ones too though.....wish I knew more about them myself.

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Lifthasir]

Giant hogweed, hemlock and water hemlock - deadly!!! If in doubt, walk away -
easier to make mistakes in younger plants...

Almost impossible to give detailed advice on a forum. Stay clear until someone
with vast experience shows you in person with live plants!!!

Do not take chances!

 

[Wayne]

Giant hogweed, hemlock and water hemlock - deadly!!! If in doubt, walk away -
easier to make mistakes in younger plants...

Almost impossible to give detailed advice on a forum. Stay clear until someone
with vast experience shows you in person with live plants!!!

Do not take chances!

Sound advice. i tend to avoid teaching too much about these plants as it is relatively easy to make a serious error.

it takes time to learn to distinguish between fools parsley and cow parsley etc.

 

[Angus Og]

I was out to day for a wonder down the Dullatur marsh next to the Forth and Clyde canal and found a big patch of these. Tried digging the root up but the thing was frozen.

 

[Angus Og]

And just out of interest these pictures (below or a above) were taken half a mile from the Glasgow to Edinburgh line. Also near a not so famous wall the Romans build in AD140.