I have been round my local nature reserve with an expert botanist this evening and boy, have I learnt lots, I had always considered myself pretty good on plant id until this evening. I am involved in surveying the plants in zone 10 (with my boy)at my local wildlife reserve and already had a good list, which I was pleased with, but going out with this guy this evening I have now a huge great long list of plants and a greater knowledge of them, for instance, did you know, that to tell the difference between greater and lesser burdock, cut off a leaf stem and if the stem is hollow, then it is lesser burdock. I learnt loads of stuff like this and I just hope I can remember it all. I was told the latin names before the common names and I have no chance of remembering all them. I also came across gypsy wort for the first time and was told that the gypsys used to use the dye from it to colour their skin, hence the name. Great evening and I can't wait to go again................Jon
Good evening with a botanist
- Thread starter JonnyP
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Jon sounds like a good night out. write the stuff down before you forget it.
its great that there are so many knowledgable people out there.
its great that there are so many knowledgable people out there.
You had a beautiful evening for it, Jon.
If you have any more identification tips like the one above why not write them down and post them as a new thread, then others can add their own ID tips to build up a useful reference.
If you have any more identification tips like the one above why not write them down and post them as a new thread, then others can add their own ID tips to build up a useful reference.
Nice one Jon. sounds like you had a good time. I don't suppose he would fancy doing a walk for a morning/afternoon with some of us lot would he? I know it's cheeky but if you don't ask you don't get 
paying of course
I've a few of my own to continue the ball rolling. Most of these are from flora brittanica - Richard Mabey (food for free)
Traveller's joy - The dried stems used to be smoked and has an alternative name of boy's bacca. Beggars used to rub their legs with the fresh twigs to get sympathy. the sap contains an irritant that makes it look like ulcers.
Ground ivy - was sold during colder weather as a tea as it's good for the chest. it was also used to clarify ale before hops were discovered and has alternative names of 'alehoof', 'gill over the ground' and 'creeping jenny'
Bluebells - and Lords and ladies root was used to starch ruffs during the Elizabethan period. It blisters the hands though, and is very caustic.
Wood anemone - is very much liked by pheasents as a food
Henbane - was used by Dr Crippen to murder his wife. It contains Hyoscine and is lethal. It is now quite rare
Comfrey - also known as 'knitbone' or 'bone set' was used packed around a broken limb and sets to a consistancy like plaster of paris
That'll do for now. But a great thread. keep 'em coming
paying of course I've a few of my own to continue the ball rolling. Most of these are from flora brittanica - Richard Mabey (food for free)
Traveller's joy - The dried stems used to be smoked and has an alternative name of boy's bacca. Beggars used to rub their legs with the fresh twigs to get sympathy. the sap contains an irritant that makes it look like ulcers.
Ground ivy - was sold during colder weather as a tea as it's good for the chest. it was also used to clarify ale before hops were discovered and has alternative names of 'alehoof', 'gill over the ground' and 'creeping jenny'
Bluebells - and Lords and ladies root was used to starch ruffs during the Elizabethan period. It blisters the hands though, and is very caustic.
Wood anemone - is very much liked by pheasents as a food
Henbane - was used by Dr Crippen to murder his wife. It contains Hyoscine and is lethal. It is now quite rare
Comfrey - also known as 'knitbone' or 'bone set' was used packed around a broken limb and sets to a consistancy like plaster of paris
That'll do for now. But a great thread. keep 'em coming
Cheers Guys..............I did write most of it down, but we only had a couple of hours and spend most of it identifying the plants, mostly the ones that were not in flower that I did not recognise. It would be a bit awkward asking him to take some of us out as I do not really know him that well and I felt a bit cheeky asking him to take me round the reserve, but we will probably be going again later in the season, so I will ask him then. I am not sure of his knowledge of uses for the plants, or even interest in uses, he may of just picked up a few things as he looked up plants in books, but saying that, he does know a bit ( if not a lot), by the things he told me in our short time together.
He only had to look in his book a couple of times, and they were sub species, he needed to make sure of.
Just one other thing he told me, and I sort of knew anyway was that the pith of the soft rush can be dipped in tallow, to make a tallow lamp.
I now have a list of 100 plants for the area, which is about 6 acres.............Jon
He only had to look in his book a couple of times, and they were sub species, he needed to make sure of.
Just one other thing he told me, and I sort of knew anyway was that the pith of the soft rush can be dipped in tallow, to make a tallow lamp.
I now have a list of 100 plants for the area, which is about 6 acres.............Jon
andyn
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Marts said:
I believe you can yes. RM uses bluebell roots for the fletching on his arrows in the first episode of his last series when he and Chris boyton are constructing a bow and arrow between them.
How about we have a 101 historical uses for plants/tree thread. I think we did start one before but it died a death as not many people posted. (60 odd posts for the survival argument/debate thread though
) and no shortage in kit chatter either. Come on guys 'n' gals this is a fascinating part of what we do. One each eh? c'mon you know you want to 
Dandelion - from 'dent de lion' (french - lion's tooth) due to the resemblence of the leaves to them. High in vitamin A and C. Was used in the past to treat jaundice and consumption. Roots dry roasted make a drink and young fresh leaves can be eaten in salad. A wine can be made from the florets too.
Butterbur - leaves were used in past times for wrapping butter blocks to keep them cool, hence the English name
Coltsfoot - The down on the underside of the leaves were scraped off and used as a tinder. ( I think also treated with saltpetre)
Cleavers (goose grass) seeds were once used to make a coffe substitute and is a relative of coffee and quinine. The young shoots are edible (treat as for nettles to remove hairs) Shepards used cleavers to strain sheeps milk through to remove any hairs.
As Ozzy would say...... 'lets rock 'n' roll
Sounds excellent Jon I love it when I find someone who really knows his area and what grows where and when. I usually find a good excuse to go walkabout with someone who knows there stuff in each new area I find myself in, and it's amazing the way the little snippets of information build up.
A yearly journal, an A5 notebook, is a good idea. It lets me note, draw, fix in samples, of all sorts of things, over a time that I usually have enough recall of, to go look back at the right book for something. By choice I start from the beginning of February each year, so my book carries through Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
Falling Rain, there have been a lot of attempts at a database type thingie, but in the end they all fizzle out. It seems to work much more effectively if one plant or one plant family is discussed at a time. Like the recent thread on Mint, folks just add on their own snippets. Nettles have been covered a couple of times but y'know, information bears repeating
Cheers,
Toddy
I love it when I find someone who really knows his area and what grows where and when. I usually find a good excuse to go walkabout with someone who knows there stuff in each new area I find myself in, and it's amazing the way the little snippets of information build up.A yearly journal, an A5 notebook, is a good idea. It lets me note, draw, fix in samples, of all sorts of things, over a time that I usually have enough recall of, to go look back at the right book for something. By choice I start from the beginning of February each year, so my book carries through Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
Falling Rain, there have been a lot of attempts at a database type thingie, but in the end they all fizzle out. It seems to work much more effectively if one plant or one plant family is discussed at a time. Like the recent thread on Mint, folks just add on their own snippets. Nettles have been covered a couple of times but y'know, information bears repeating
Cheers,
Toddy
I don't really mean a database Toddy, just some snippets in general about whatever plant you fancy as an interesting thread.
Anyway as you mentioned nettles........From Readers digest - Wild flowers, as well as cordage, tea and a vegeatable, nettles have been used by monks in medieval times as an instrument of torture to hit their bare backs with. (chase me, chase me ) The bones of a bronze age Dane were found wrapped in fabric from nettle stems and even last century nettle table cloths and bed linen were being used in Scotland. The Romans beleived nettle stings could cure rheumatism and the belief still persists in Britain. During the second world war nettles were harvested to supply chlorophyll for medicines. I think I read somewhere that the Germans used nettles for uniforms during the war to a small extent too
Anyway as you mentioned nettles........From Readers digest - Wild flowers, as well as cordage, tea and a vegeatable, nettles have been used by monks in medieval times as an instrument of torture to hit their bare backs with. (chase me, chase me
) The bones of a bronze age Dane were found wrapped in fabric from nettle stems and even last century nettle table cloths and bed linen were being used in Scotland. The Romans beleived nettle stings could cure rheumatism and the belief still persists in Britain. During the second world war nettles were harvested to supply chlorophyll for medicines. I think I read somewhere that the Germans used nettles for uniforms during the war to a small extent too
It was the list of plants you mentioned that brought databases to mind
Go on, pick a plant and start a new thread. Title it with the plant name and watch all the ideas and uses gather
Nettles? Well I use them for, salt, tea, soup, stir fry, dye (green, brown, yellow), fibre (thread, twine, nets, weaving), arthritis; and the caterpillars love it too
Cheers,
Toddy
Go on, pick a plant and start a new thread. Title it with the plant name and watch all the ideas and uses gather
Nettles? Well I use them for, salt, tea, soup, stir fry, dye (green, brown, yellow), fibre (thread, twine, nets, weaving), arthritis; and the caterpillars love it too
Cheers,
Toddy
I understand what you're saying Toddy. But it's not what I had in mind. A database as far as I understand it, is something you can access when you want to like in Excel for example and look up a plant in some kind of order. Never mind. I thought it would be of interest.
It is of interest, but just what sort of detail do you want?
Links to encyclopedia sites we can find, but personal knowledge and recommendation is an incredibly rich resource. This forum is full of experienced outdoors people, they cover the country from one end to the other, and the information they offer is wonderful. I find it tempts me to try other methods, uses and crafts simply because someone here mentioned something or other that came to mind.
Cheers,
Toddy
Links to encyclopedia sites we can find, but personal knowledge and recommendation is an incredibly rich resource. This forum is full of experienced outdoors people, they cover the country from one end to the other, and the information they offer is wonderful. I find it tempts me to try other methods, uses and crafts simply because someone here mentioned something or other that came to mind.
Cheers,
Toddy
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