Burdock beer

[tommy the cat]

Well my sis sent me this letter...
Hi Dave

Max and Loz have made some dandelion and burdock beer (includes dandelion
leaves, nettle leaves and burdock root all from our rather wild garden).

But the plant that they dug up for the burdock root and which they are
convinced is dock (I think there are several types of dock) looks absolutely
nothing like the picture of burdock that is in my wild flower book. My pic
has thistle type things and the stuff in our garden has orangey sort of
flower spikes.

Can you have a look at these pictures and identify if for me? If it's not
burdock is it another kind of dock and if so are the roots edible or
poisonous??
I've told them not to drink it until I've checked but they're convinced it's
ok (I'm not touching it.....)
My id on plants is a bit ropey and considering they are going to drink it....

Another sorry about the size.


Looks like a dock to me but not convinced which one and if poisonous?!
Ta Dave

 

[Toddy]

It's docken, I get a beautiful rich rusty brown colour from the roots........don't know as I'd try drinking my dyebath though

No idea if the root is edible, the leaves and seeds are.

cheers,
Toddy

p.s. the roots used to be boiled up and used as a poultice on stings and bites.

 

[tommy the cat]

Thought as much (so did she!) Will warn her friends that wild foods in Birmingham may be not what they seem! LOL
Dave
EDIT Sorry just spoke to my sis and they realised it was Dock but thought it may be the same family and used similarily.
Told her it was a different family but so far haven't found any dock that is poisonous..... although not sure which one this is 100%.
The root may stop them having the squits though!!!
Dave
NB sorry I couldn't remember how to spell diaho diahorr diarrohe ...the squits!

 

[chickenofthewoods]

People frequently confuse Dock and Burdock, not because of the similarities in the plants (because they are totally unalike), but because of the name.

Dock is edible after a fashion but it is very bitter (oxalic acid) and so may require special preparation to reduce this.

I think the one pictured might be Curled Dock (Rumex crispus) as it has long thin wavy leaves. Burdock is either greater or lesser (Arctium lappa/Arctium minus).

 

[In Wood]

Tommy

I remember it with this little sentence.
Dash In A Real Rush Hurry Or Else Accident