Shore plant ID, please?

[Toddy]

Very interesting, thanks for the link, more of a North American sub-species which is why I've never heard of it before.

You're also on the East coast. Fife is drier than the rest of the country. Half my family came from Clackmannanshire and Fife. When my Grandmother went through to visit her sisters she took plants and herbs that grew easily here and swapped them for ones that didn't thrive in Lanarkshire.

I think it is an Umbelliferae namely Wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa).

I don't think I've ever seen that one. Interesting. I know that some of the original cultivated carrots were white though. The Romans grew white and purple ones.


cheers,
Toddy

 

[familne]

Somebody came up with Sea Radish (Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. maritimus) which I think is correct, ticks all the right boxes - common along the drift line and shingle in the west. So a crucifer & not an umbellifer!

 

[rawshak]

My first reaction to was Sea Radish. I have a lot of it growing by me.

Some better photos would certainly help though

If you're feeling a little adventurous, the leaves tase a lot like wasabi if it's Sea Radish

 

[Toddy]

I thought sea radish had mustard like foliage

like this.....
http://www.bioimages.org.uk/html/p3/p33168.php

http://www.habitas.org.uk/flora/species.asp?item=2819

cheers,
M

 

[rawshak]

I thought sea radish had mustard like foliage

like this.....
http://www.bioimages.org.uk/html/p3/p33168.php

http://www.habitas.org.uk/flora/species.asp?item=2819

cheers,
M

Although it is related to the mustards, being a member of the cabbage family (it also has a very similar seed pod), it does look very similar to our mystery plant. The leaves are odd-pinnate, small and narrow towards the stem, then growing larger and ending with a single (sometimes tri-lobed) leaf at the top. They tend to be rough in texture and toothed.

And like I say, they taste very much like wasabi

I'm doing some filming for my wild food group this weekend (now we have some good weather), and Sea radish is on the agenda, so I'll post a link to it when it's done

 

[familne]

I thought sea radish had mustard like foliage

like this.....
http://www.bioimages.org.uk/html/p3/p33168.php

http://www.habitas.org.uk/flora/species.asp?item=2819

cheers,
M

Those are pics of it in flower during the summer, these are the overwintering rosette leaves which can be somewhat different. Difficult to find a decent pic of the rosette leaves but these are not bad:

http://www.british-wild-flowers.co.uk/R-Flowers/Radish, Sea.htm

 

[familne]

Although it is related to the mustards, being a member of the cabbage family (it also has a very similar seed pod), it does look very similar to our mystery plant. The leaves are odd-pinnate, small and narrow towards the stem, then growing larger and ending with a single (sometimes tri-lobed) leaf at the top. They tend to be rough in texture and toothed.

And like I say, they taste very much like wasabi

I'm doing some filming for my wild food group this weekend (now we have some good weather), and Sea radish is on the agenda, so I'll post a link to it when it's done

Great stuff!

 

[Toddy]

Excellent
What do the roots taste like ?
I can't find any information about those, only the leaves.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[rawshak]

Excellent
What do the roots taste like ?
I can't find any information about those, only the leaves.

cheers,
Toddy

I've not tried the roots, and not heard of them being used either, but I might give them a go tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes

 

[familne]

The leaf shape clinches it for me and the correct habitat.

and

Lyrate pinnatifid - it's called where the terminal lobe is larger than the others.

 

[chickenofthewoods]

Interesting! One I've not come across before, so I've learned something new. Thanks for posting.

 

[rawshak]

Okay, we went out and did some filming today, including Sea Radish, which I'll include a link for once it's published. However, I did get the chance to try the roots, which I've not tasted before.

Surprisingly, they taste like radish

You can separate the outer part of the root, from the central core (xylem?), much like you can with a carrot. The outer part tastes exactly like domesticated radish, the central core is hotter and actually has less flavour, but both are quite palatable. The texture was a little fibrous, but not woody. I chose quite a small specimen (the rosette was no more than a foot across).

This is definitely worth a try

 

[Toddy]

Nice one
What size was the root ?

cheers,
Toddy

 

[rawshak]

The root was about a half inch diameter. I didn't dig out the entire root, just cut off the top couple of inches, so I don't know what the length was, but based on the taper, I would guess at around eight usable inches. It was a small specimen though with a twelve inche rosette, we saw Radish rosettes almost four foot across today!

 

[familne]

Very interesting, I've never seen it on the coast here in the East.

 

[rawshak]

Very interesting, I've never seen it on the coast here in the East.

I'll do a little research in a bit and see if I can find out the main areas it is established in the UK. It's really worth trying if you can find it, very good flavour (if you like hot things), and certainly adds a bit of 'zing' to your wild food repertoire

 

[rawshak]

Okay, according to the information I can find, it is widespread on stabilised shingle, sand dunes and coastal grassland, but commonest in the South and West. It is predominant on the West coast of Scotland, but can also be found on the Northern Isles.

As far as I can tell, it pretty much grows anywhere in the British Isles, where soil conditions are suitable. Near me it grows mainly on the grasslands just prior to the sand dunes, although I have found it growing on verges up to a mile or so inland, although these always tend to be very small specimens (3"-6").

 

[rawshak]

Sorry it's been a little while coming, Christmas etc. got in the way

Here's the video I promised on Sea Raddish, hope you like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzsxyGpFmhA&feature=email

 

[Nagual]

Cheers for that! First impressions are that it certainly could be a Sea Radish, however our specimen, although planted 'out the back' has lost all it's leaves and is buried under a load of snow and ice just now, so can't confirm..

In the future are we going to see more of you cooking up and making various lovely recipes with what you find, perhaps much like your woodlice video? That would be nice to see, although I admit slightly more tricky.

Cheers,