Trying to teach myself a bit of foraging(help with ID)

[monkey boy]

I went out to see if I could ID a few wild edibles today, I didn't try to eat anything just incase I was wrong and wanted confirmation on the plants first I was using the small food for free book by collins gem.

So here what I think I found, please correct me if I'm wrong

I think this could be Sloe

Hawthorn

Rosehip

Common Sorrel

Crab apple

That's all I could find so far, iv just started learning the foraging side of things so all help would be grateful thanx

MB

 

[Leiflet]

It might just be the photo - or my eyeballs - but your sorrel looks like one of the narrower leaved docks to me. Everything else is spot on.

Cheers,
Leif

 

[Harvestman]

It might just be the photo - or my eyeballs - but your sorrel looks like one of the narrower leaved docks to me. Everything else is spot on.

Cheers,
Leif

Agree 100%. I don't think that is sorrel.

 

[monkey boy]

I did scratch my head a bit on this one, it looks so close to the pic in the book as it has a long stem with reddish seeds on it, I have to admit this is the hardest skill in bushcraft in my opinion. I'm so glad everything els is correct, happy days

 

[Harvestman]

Sadly, reliable identification skills take years of practice, but you are going about it the right way, picking up a few things at a time.

The most important skill of all if you are identifying things with the intention of eating them, is to know when you are less than 100% certain, because that is when you should decide not to eat it. Sounds easy, but the lure of thinking "Oh, it'll be ok" is very powerful and can lead to an upset stomach, or worse.

 

[Toddy]

Did you get a close up of the arrangement of the reddish bits on the stem of the 'docken' ? figwort's looking a bit like that just now, but I can't see the flower/fruiting bits clearly in the photo.
Thing is too, there are a lot of figworts.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[monkey boy]

Thank you Harvestman for that advice, @ the moment I'm out learning the ID's first and going to confirm things on this site and people around me that do a bit, also once I know 100% I will try to taste it. I am going to start bringing what I find home so I can check them in my bigger manuals

 

[monkey boy]

Sorry toddy that's the only pick I got next time I will take more to help me with.

 

[Harvestman]

I'm pretty sure its a dock.

 

[Toddy]

It's the smooth leaves, with the obvious vein, that they're opposite and spaced out, that the reddish bits seem to be whorl around the stem. Docken stems are 'hard' just now as they set their seed and dry them out to shake off in the wind.
Quite happy to be wrong about it; we learn something from it after all

Give it another look if you get a chance Monkey Boy; I find it's the little bits that become familiar over time that builds up confidence when you see something in real life. It's all very well reading a description and looking at photos, but the light is always changing, where the plants grow can change their height, what you see of them in among other plants, and dry or wet can change not only the size but when they ripen and fruit too.

It's a great way to take a walk, keeping your eyes sort of open but 'wide' focused

cheers,
M

 

[Hog On Ice]

sorrel (Rumex acetosella) and curly dock (Rumex crispus) are at least in the same genus so some confusion is understandable if looking at the seeds/inflorescence - key difference that I go by is size and shape of leaf - what it looks like to me is the pic is of curly dock

 

[monkey boy]

It's the smooth leaves, with the obvious vein, that they're opposite and spaced out, that the reddish bits seem to be whorl around the stem. Docken stems are 'hard' just now as they set their seed and dry them out to shake off in the wind.
Quite happy to be wrong about it; we learn something from it after all

Give it another look if you get a chance Monkey Boy; I find it's the little bits that become familiar over time that builds up confidence when you see something in real life. It's all very well reading a description and looking at photos, but the light is always changing, where the plants grow can change their height, what you see of them in among other plants, and dry or wet can change not only the size but when they ripen and fruit too.

It's a great way to take a walk, keeping your eyes sort of open but 'wide' focused

cheers,
M

The seed were very dry when I touched them, they fell of very easy and crumbled between my fingers.

 

[Neil1]

Its a dock, there are no "spurs" on the back of the leaf.
Next time Luke & I come up to the Sussex meet, I'll let you know and we can go for a forage walk if you like, or come up & see us at Foregewood.

 

[monkey boy]

Its a dock, there are no "spurs" on the back of the leaf.
Next time Luke & I come up to the Sussex meet, I'll let you know and we can go for a forage walk if you like, or come up & see us at Foregewood.

That would be great, would be very helpful thank you. Where about is forge wood? As we could defo arrange something

Thank again
MB

 

[F7144]

Forgewood campsite (TN3 9JD) is near Eridge, between Crowborough and Tunbridge Wells. We are there every Saturday through the season. Good luck with your foraging.

Luke
Greencraft

 

[monkey boy]

Forgewood campsite (TN3 9JD) is near Eridge, between Crowborough and Tunbridge Wells. We are there every Saturday through the season. Good luck with your foraging.

Luke
Greencraft

Perfect thanks for that, I will send a message when I find a Saturday to come along

 

[Joonsy]

this is common sorrel (your photo is not) notice how the leaves point backwards arrow-like on the stem