Wilderness Plants, Lichens, Moss, Fungi & other Flora

Christmas cactus/Christmas cholla/pencil cholla (Cylindropuntia leptocaulis I believe...)

Red fruit is edible and slightly sweet. To remove the glochids, gently rub on gravely soil and they will come off (as is the case with the vast majority of glochid bearing fruit in the Southwest). Can be consumed raw or cooked and dried.

 

Found another one for you guys. This is Bloodweed, a common plant that has a soft woody stem with a pith (spongy) center as it matures. It's best use is to render it making an astringent wash. You can also make a weak tea to use as an aid in treating upset stomach or intestinal distress.

 

One of the most common, prolific, and easy to recognize super foods in the US. The dandelion. Flowers and leaves are highly nutritious, roots can be dried, roasted and ground for a decent coffee substitute. It's one of my favorites in both raw (salads) form and as an addition to any cooked soup or stew.

 

Plantain, Plantago major (Latin). Pg 78-79 in "Edible Wild Plants" by Elias & Dykeman. A fairly common weed introduced from Europe. Can be used in salad when young, pot herb in soups ( peppery taste ), Seeds can be ground for flour. Older leaves develop purple veins, bruise and steep/boil with berries for a healthy tea. No poisonous look a likes.

 

Was out doing the grazing thing today. This is Sheep Sorrel ( Rumex acetossella) pg 121 in the edible plants guide, found from spring to early summer, turns reddish as it reaches seed stage, fibrous and hard to make edible at that point. Lemony tart taste, makes a nice tea or addition to salads.

 

This mess of greenage is Cleavers, (Galium aparine) pg 86. It's got 4 sided stems and sticks to clothing like Velcro. Pretty common and easy to find. A relative is Northern Bedstraw for the brethren in Canada and north lands.

 

Look what I found for ya'll today. This is Black Mustard (Brassica Nigra), pg 100 in the guide.
Introduced annual herb from Europe, grows wild and widespread from Alaska to the southern coast. Can be a salad green when young, stir fried or stewed later. An excellent source of vitamins a, b, and c it says.

Hey Strigidae , do I still get my points for the May challenge thread? I was outside......eating weeds as it were.

 

I was out prowling today and found these, everybody knows these, blackberrys, dewberry, all in the bramble family. ( L. Rubus) 300-400 different species according to my book. A tasty wonderful treat with amazing properties. But, Did you know that the tender ends of the vines can be eaten, or put in tea? Sure can, and the roots too, they are a super antibiotic booster, a "flu killer" if you will. Vines can be uprooted, even in winter, the roots chopped and stewed in boiling water and the resulting infusion added to teas or toddys to quickly put you on the road to recovery. Maybe our ansestors weren't as primitive as we are led to believe eh?

 

Ah! Figured there was always more to them than just the berries. Awesome stuff!

 

Found my first ripe blackberry of the year.

 

Found some blackberries at camp. Then we took a short hike and got some chanterelle and crown coral mushrooms for dinner.

 

Prickly Pear (Opuntia) edible parts:flowers, pads and fruit (the last being choice)

Pads can be gathered in spring when young and fresh (cook as you would any vegetable, or chop up and add to scrambled eggs), flowers can be steeped into a tea (or eaten raw), fruit is gathered with tongs (modern or bush made) and comes off the pad easily when ripe. Fruit can be eaten raw or cooked, and is sweet in flavor.

 

Mm, love some prickly pear. I like to peel small new pads and eat them raw.

 

It's good for sure! Or chopped up and cooked with scrambled eggs. I also have just harvested some fruit today. Hopefully will make something tasty with it.

 

Wolfberry (aka desert thorn) Lycium

Wolfberry is a nightshade from what I understand, and is a close desert dwelling relative of the goji berry. Fruits don't really have a season but are often found after there has been enough rain to spur growth. To me they taste like a cherry tomato (but often with a sour or bitter aftertaste depending on the individual plant).