what is the plant called? it was good for kindling

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Brocktor

Banned
Jul 25, 2006
211
0
uk
its always by rivers, my gramp used to call them bamboo when i was young!



this is in hawthorn by river taff near pontypridd s.wales
 

Ed

Admin
Admin
Aug 27, 2003
5,973
37
51
South Wales Valleys
Looks like the dreaded Japanese Knotweed to me .... There are a few variations of this plant in the UK. Are any of the dead leaves around on the floor you could use for a correct id?

:)
Ed
 

Ben_Hillwalker

Forager
Sep 19, 2005
133
0
54
Surrey
You say that your grandpa used to call it bambo. Does that mean it was hollow?

If that's the case then I would say that it's a large umbelifer, possibly hemlock.

Mr Mears used dead dry hemlock to get a fire started in his latest TV series.
 
Aug 27, 2006
457
10
Kent
I agree, Japanese Knotweed.

Horrible invasive stuff because it regenerates so easily from only tiny amounts of suitable tissue (thankfully, the seeds are sterile) - although it's edible and good (harvest young shoots) it's an offense to cause its spread so you'll need to be very careful handling any live parts of it:

http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/processes/367836/?version=1&lang=_e

I have to say I'd only touch Hemlock for tinder if I were truly desperate and couldn't find anything else. I'm sure someone will accuse me of being over cautious, or reel off a list or resons why it's perfectly safe when dead and dry but I'm not willing to make a liar out of my Grandmother or knock the lessons I learned at her knee. ;)

There's plenty of other stuff to play with if I want to make a fire.
 

Ben_Hillwalker

Forager
Sep 19, 2005
133
0
54
Surrey
My money would still be on an umbelifer such as cow parsley or hemlock.

Umbelifer flower heads, even dead dried ones, are pretty distinctive. If you can find one of them still on the stems then that will clinch it.
 
Aug 27, 2006
457
10
Kent
I fear you'll lose your bet then Joker

istockphoto_53889_autum_cow_parsley.jpg


Cow Parsely has a furrowed and slightly hairy main stem, plus the flower heads remain on the plant throughout winter. (It seems unlikely to me that none whatever would remain to be found unless they'd been actively removed by a herd of zealous florists passing by ;) ) .

image_7766.gif


Japanese Knotweed has a stem that is smooth, hollow and similar to bamboo.
 

silvergirl

Nomad
Jan 25, 2006
379
0
Angus,Scotland
Japanese Knot weed :borgsmile


KILL KILL BURN DESTROY :rant: :AR15firin :soapbox: :cussing:



:eek: ggot a bit carried away there.

Looks like Japanese knotweed, not a nice plant to have growing anywhere as it will take over the world (well the uk anyway)
 

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