weird plant

[jongir]

I was walking my dog today and came across a plant I have never seen before.

It was a straight rigid stem about 8-10in tall and a bunch of red berries on it.

Can anybody enlighten me as to what it was (actually there was 2 together).
the first one had a protruding stem about 2in above the berries and the second shorter one had the berries at the top of the stem.

there was no other plants like anywhere around.

 

[falling rain]

Sounds like lords and ladies/cuckoo pint (arum) poisonous. Roots were used by the Elizabethans for starching ruffs

http://www.english-country-garden.com/flowers/cuckoo-pint.htm

 

[ilovemybed]

I'd echo that, Lords and Ladies. Shame they're poisonous - they look very tasty...
Anyone know if the berries are eaten by other animals/birds? Seems weird that they're berries nothing can eat...

 

[jongir]

That looks like the one falling rain. Thanks

First time I've seen them

I did take a photo with my phone but i have no way of getting them on my antique computer (still punching cards)

 

[wingstoo]

Lords and ladies flowers in April through to May, and is a perennial, growing from a tuber underground. In autumn, it produces a cluster of dark orange berries grouped together at the top of a stem.

Wild arum is poisonous and it is better to avoid contact with it. However, in earlier times, the roots were used as a substitute for arrowroot although it has a bitter taste. The roots were more commonly used as a source of starch for collars and ruffs, even though the toxic juice left the poor laundresses’ hands terribly blistered.




LS

 

[British Red]

I was walking my dog today and came across a plant I have never seen before.

It was a straight rigid stem about 8-10in tall and a bunch of red berries on it.

Can anybody enlighten me as to what it was (actually there was 2 together).
the first one had a protruding stem about 2in above the berries and the second shorter one had the berries at the top of the stem.

there was no other plants like anywhere around.

I think they have it for sure - here is a Lords and Ladies I photographed last weekend

I hope that confirms it for you?

Red

 

[falling rain]

As a child (very small child) I remember thinking that adders ate the berries and that is where they got their poison from. I was only about 5 or 6 and had been told to leave well alone as they were poisonous.
Someone posted this link a while back about eating theroots but I don't fancy risking it myself
http://www.countrylovers.co.uk/wfs/arum.htm

 

[jongir]

I certainly wouldn't like to try it.

Thanks red thats definently it

 

[Matt Weir]

Ahhh,

I came across this weird looking thing in woods at Lechlade-on-Thames last year and wondered what it was. Thanks guys for solving the mystery.

Matt.

 

[Jumbalaya]

As a child (very small child) I remember thinking that adders ate the berries and that is where they got their poison from. I was only about 5 or 6 and had been told to leave well alone as they were poisonous.
Someone posted this link a while back about eating theroots but I don't fancy risking it myself
http://www.countrylovers.co.uk/wfs/arum.htm

Hi folks. I posted that a while back and in fact I've been doing quite a lot of work with arumn starch. Gordon Hillman who's working with RM used my quoted method to extract starch earlier in the year and the info. should be in the new book to accompany the series. As with all things about wild foods don't take risks unless you are confident about what you are doing.

MH aka JJ

 

[falling rain]

Hi folks. I posted that a while back and in fact I've been doing quite a lot of work with arumn starch. Gordon Hillman who's working with RM used my quoted method to extract starch earlier in the year and the info. should be in the new book to accompany the series. As with all things about wild foods don't take risks unless you are confident about what you are doing.

MH aka JJ

Good advice JJ...... You may have heard of this................There's a fish in Japan called Fugu (puffer fish) which can be poisonous if wrongly prepared. It is supposed to be delicious and quite expensive in speciality restaurants. It must be prepared by specially trianed chefs and they taste a piece of the fish in front of the customer who ordered it to show the chef is confident he has prepared it correctly. I think (not sure) the poison comes from the reproductive organs of the fish and is lethal. There are a number of people who die each year in Japan from having a go at preparing the fish themselves. I've caught these fish from the shore in Japan and certainly was NO WAY going to have a go at cooking it. As my recent 'chicken of the woods' thread demonstrates I'm a bit of a wimp at trying anything unless 100% sure