Showing posts with label Spring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spring. Show all posts

Agarita

Scientific Name(s): Mahonia trifoliolata
Abundance: common
What: Berries
How: raw, cooked, jam, jelly, wine, syrup, roast seeds for coffee
Where: Hill Country, dry grasslands
When: Spring
Nutritional Value: Vit. C

Medicinal Summary:
Leaves - anti-nausea (tisane, tincture, chewed)
Root/Wood - antimicrobial; antiviral; antidiarrheal, immortality (tincture, oxymel)

Leaf Arrangement: The compound, trifoliate leaves are alternate along the stems.

Leaf Shape: Mahonia trifoliolata leaves are compound, typically with three leaflets.

Leaf Venation: The leaflet venation is pinnate.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is serrated  to almost lobed with sharp, stiff points.

Leaf Color: The leaves are usually green, and there might be variations in color on the top and underside. Veins are a lighter gray or milky in color.

Flower Structure: The flowers are arranged in clusters and have a bell-like shape. The diameter of an individual flower is typically around 1/2 inch (1.27 cm). The flowers smell like honey.

Flower Color: Mahonia trifoliolata flowers are yellow.

Fruit: The fruit is a red, football-shaped, berry-like drupe.

Seed: Seeds are small, usually contained within the berries.

Bark: The bark is grayish-brown and may be rough. Inner wood is yellow.

Hairs: Some parts of the plant, such as the undersides of leaves or stems, may have fine hairs.

Height: Mahonia trifoliolata can reach heights of 3 to 8 feet (0.9 to 2.4 meters) depending on environmental conditions.

Agarita shrub.


















Agarita flower buds (picture taken in February in the Hill Country).























Open agarita flowers (picture taken in February in the Hill Country).


























Closeup of ripe and almost ripe agarita berries.




















Closeup of agarita leaf.





















The inner wood of agaritas is a deep yellow color due to the medicinal compound berberine.




















Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.















North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.















The evergreen agarita is a common 2’-6’ shrub found across Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Its unusual, three-part leaves are grey-green, very stiff and pointy so harvesting their fruit can be a bit painful. The yellow flowers appear in late winter followed by red, edible fruit in the spring. Agaritas prefer dry areas with well-drained and somewhat alkaline soil along with full sun to partial shade. The shrubs usually gather around mesquite and other small trees. I haven't seen any out standing alone.

In Spring agarita shrubs are loaded with small, bright red berries. These sweet, slightly tart berries can be eaten raw or cooked in any manner one would prepare any berry such as jam, jelly, or wine. The juice from these berries has a pleasingly complex sweet and sour flavor. The small seeds can be roasted then ground for a caffeine-free coffee substitute.

Agaritas have multiple medicinal uses. The leaves can be chewed fresh or dried to help relieve nausea, especial that accompanying hangovers and motion sickness. A tea made from dried leaves will also offer relief. The yellow wood of the roots contain anti-bacterial and anti-viral compound berberine along with bitter components to help with digestion and other stomach issues such as diarrhea. The root wood is usually finely shaved and then made into a tincture with vodka.

Berberine may inhibit the shortening of chromosomal telomeres during cellular replication, which in turn prevents the physical aspects of aging. For this reason, I've started including it in my Immortality Elixir


Alligator Weed

Scientific Name(s): Alternanthera philoxeroides
Abundance: plentiful
What: stems, leaves
How: cooked
Where: shallow water, full sun
When: spring, summer, fall
Nutritional Value: extremely high in minerals, contains fair amount of protein
Dangers: accumulates toxic minerals if present in the water or soil.

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of Alternanthera philoxeroides are arranged opposite-alternating along the stem.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically simple, lanceolate to ovate, measuring approximately 1 to 2 inches in length.

Leaf Venation: Pinnate venation, with prominent veins running from the base to the tip of each leaf.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is entire (no teeth/serrations).

Leaf Color: The leaves are usually green but can turn reddish or purplish under certain conditions.

Flower Structure: Alligator Weed produces round clusters of small, spiked flowers at the terminal ends of stems.

Flower Color: Flowers are typically white or pale pink.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, spherical capsule containing seeds.

Seed: Inside the capsule are small, brown seeds.

Stem: The stem is typically prostrate and can form dense mats on the water's surface.

Hairs: Leaves and stems are hairless.

Height: Forms dense floating mats on water bodies, protruding up from the water's surface 4"-8".


Bed of alligator weeds.
Alligatorweed2

Close-up of alligator weed stems, leaves, and flowers.
Alligatorweed1

Alligatorweed

Close-up of alligator weed leaves.
alligatorweed

Close-up of alligator weed flower.
AlligatorweedFlower

Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.
AlligatorWeedTX

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
AlligatorWeed

Forming thick mats along the shores of shallow water, the invasive, foreign alligator weed has become an all too common sight on Texas shorelines and river banks. The vine-like plants start on shore and creep out to cover the surface of the water.

Cooked alligator weed has a mild, pleasant taste and is a wonderful source of minerals. Treat it like spinach but do not eat it raw. It must be cooked to kill any aquatic parasites. The stems are best chopped up so as to minimize any toughness they might have. The newest growth will be the most tender.

Warning: The water and mud in which it is growing must be free of any harmful minerals or heavy metals as the plant will gather and concentrate these toxic compounds. This accumulating power has been harnessed for bio-remediation of highly contaminated locations.


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Alyssum

Scientific Name(s): Lobularia maritima
Abundance: common
What: seeds, flowers
How: raw
Where: flower beds, landscaping
When: Fall, Winter, Spring
Nutritional Value: Vitamins, minerals, phyto-compounds,
Dangers: beware of pesticides

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are arranged alternately along the stem.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are linear to lanceolate, usually measuring 1 to 2 inches long.

Leaf Venation: Venation is not prominent, with the leaf structure being simple and undivided.

Leaf Margin: Margins are entire, meaning they are smooth and unbroken.

Leaf Color: Leaves are typically a gray-green to bright green color.

Flower Structure: Flowers are small with have 4 petals. Blossom grow in dense clusters at the ends of stems.

Flower Color: Commonly white, although some cultivars may display pink or lavender hues.

Fruit: The fruit is a small silique (a type of dry seed capsule).

Seed: Seeds are tiny and contained within the siliques.

Stem: Stems are slender and branching, creating a mat-like or slightly mounded form.

Hairs: Leaves and stems are often finely hairy.

Height: The plant typically grows to a height of 6 to 12 inches.


Alyssum flowers in a flower bed.
AlyssumFlowers1

Close-up of flower and seed pods.
AlyssumFlower3

Close-up of flower.
AlyssumFlower2

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Alyssum

People are surprised to learn sweet alyssum is actually a mustard (Brassica family). It's "fairy spiral" arrangement of seed pods and the four-petaled, six-stamened (4 tall, 2 short) flower are the clue. Generally considered to be a cool-weather plant, sweet alyssum is found in many flowerbeds fall to spring. Come summer’s heat they wilt and are usually removed.

While the flowers have a wonderful sweet aroma, the name "Sweet Alyssum" is somewhat misleading when it comes to flavor of raw, young, green seed pods which have the same spicy bite of other mustards. This makes them a funky replacement for radishes in a salad. They also go well with meats where one would normally add a dash of horseradish. The flowers can be eaten any time but the seed pods have the best texture/mouth-feel when still soft and green. The flavor of the leaves is unpleasant to most people but can still be cooked in the same manner as traditional mustard greens.

Warning: Beware of pesticides when harvesting sweet alyssum from flower beds, though if you are following the law you will have already talked to the owner and he/she can tell you if the bed had been sprayed.


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Arrowhead/Wapato

Scientific Name(s): Maranta spp. and Sagittaria spp.
Abundance: uncommon
What: tubers, young leaves, young flower stalks
How: boiled, roasted
Where: marshes, water
When: tubers all year, best in late fall and early winter; young leaves in early summer; flower stalks well before flower buds have opened.
Nutritional Value: carbohydrates
Dangers: Beware the similar-looking arrow arum, (Peltandra virginica) plant which has an arrowhead-shaped leaf and produces tubers same as Sagittaria species.

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are alternately arranged along the stem, typically emerging from the water or mud.

Leaf Shape: Arrowhead-shaped (sagittate), measuring 4 to 12 inches long and 2 to 6 inches wide.

Leaf Venation: Venation is palmate, looking like a spider, starting at where the stalk meets the leaf and branching out to the edges of the leaf.

Leaf Margin: Margins are smooth and entire.

Leaf Color: The leaves are generally a glossy green, sometimes with a slightly bluish hue.

Flower Structure: The flowers are arranged in whorls on a spike, with each flower having three white petals and three green sepals.

Flower Color: White, often with a yellowish center.

Fruit: Produces small, round, green fruits that turn brown as they mature.

Seed: Seeds are small, numerous, and contained within the fruit.

Stem: Stems are long, thick, and can be either submerged or emergent, depending on the water level.

Hairs: There are no hairs; both the stems and leaves are smooth.

Height: The emergent stems and leaves can reach 2 to 3 feet in height above the water surface.


Arrowroot tuber (photo courtesy of Samuel Thayer).
Arrowhead Tubers ST IGFB25

Arrowroot plants have many long veins radiating outwards from the center (palmate).
Arrowroot

Arrowroot leaf and flower stalk with white flowers and unopened buds.
Arrowrootflower

Note the spider-like (palmate) pattern of veins in the arrowhead-shaped leaves.
Arrowroot2

A stand of wapato plants.
Arrowroot1

Close-up of wapato flowers.
WapatoFlower

Arrowroot seedpods in the fall. One pod forms for each flower.
Arrowhead

Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.
ArrowheadTX

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Arrowhead

Found in marshes, rivers, lakes and ponds, the arrowhead plant’s distinctive leaf and flowers are easy to spot. Most arrowhead plants have three-pointed leaves shape like an arrowhead, with either the top point bigger and broader than or the same as the two downward pointing points. The vein pattern in the leaves of Sagittaria species is palmate, which means the leaves have numerous thick veins running from the stem out to the tips and sides. This pamate venation is important to distinguish the edible Sagittaria from toxic Arum species.

Traditionally arrowroot tubers are freed from the mud by tearing them from the roots while walking barefoot in the water. The tubers float to the surface where the can be collected. They are prepared for eating by first peeling the bitter outer skin, followed by cooking any way you would cook a potato. The young leaves are harvested and boiled before they've had a chance to unroll/unfurl. The flower stalk is cooked like asparagus but it must be harvested before its flower buds have opened. Note, any plants harvested from water must be cooked to avoid imbibing any toxic pathogens.

Note that arrowhead tubers do not store very well, unlike traditional potatoes. If you want to keep them make sure you are storing only perfect, undamaged tubers and place them in moist, clean sand in a cool, dark place.

Young, still curled leaves that are either above or below the surface of the water make an excellent cooked green. Treat them like spinach. The young flower stalk before the flower buds appear can be used in the same manner as the leaves.

TOXIC MIMIC: ARROW ARUM PLANT
Arrow arum plants (Peltandra virginica) grow in wetlands, and have a leaves-with the same arrowhead-shape as the edible Sagittaria, as well as similar tubers. All parts of the arum plants are filled with calcium oxalate which will cause painful burning sensations in the lips, mouth, and throat if eaten. To tell the difference between arrowhead plants and Arum arrowhead plants look at the pattern of veins in the leaves. Toxic arrow Arum leaves have only three main veins, one each running out from the center out to the points of its leaf. From these three main veins branch out smaller veins, much like you see in a "normal" leaf of other plants. The edible arrowhead leaf has many veins radiating out from the center of the leaf where it connects to the stem, making it kind of look like a spider. These veins meet up again at the tips/points of the Sagittaria leaf.

Toxic Arrow Arum leaf.
























Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Bastard Cabbage

Scientific Name(s): Rapistrum rugosum
Abundance: invasive
What: young leaves, flower buds, flowers, young seedpods
How: raw, cooked
Where: sunny ditches, fields, disturbed areas
When: late fall, winter, spring, early summer
Nutritional Value: minerals, vitamin C, antioxidants
Dangers: none known

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged alternately along the stems.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are broad lanceolate, with a length of approximately 1.5 to 4 inches and a width of about 0.5 to 1 inch. Some lobes may be present, especially on older, larger leaves.

Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate, with prominent veins running from the base to the tip of the leaves.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margins are serrated or toothed, creating a slightly jagged edge.

Leaf Color: The leaves are generally green, with no significant color variation between the top and underside.

Flower Structure: The flowers are small and have four petals, forming a cross-shaped structure. They are clustered at the ends of the stems.

Flower Color: The flower color can vary but is often yellow.

Fruit: The fruit are small, bulbous, pod with a spike at the tip, growing in a spiraling pattern up the ends of stem and branches. 

Seed: Seeds are small, oval-shaped, and numerous within the pod. They may have a brown or black color.

Stem: The stems are erect, branching, and may have a reddish or greenish hue.

Hairs: The plant may have fine hairs on the stems or leaves, contributing to a slightly textured appearance and fuzzy feel.

Height: Rapistrum rugosum typically grows to a height of 1 to 3 feet, depending on environmental conditions.


Full plants seen along a roadside.
Bastard Cabbage

Bastard Cabbage

Bastard Cabbage

A single stalk of Bastard Cabbage. Note the alternating leaf pattern.
Bastard Cabbage

Close-up of flowers and flower buds.
Bastard Cabbage

Close-up of seedpods. Note the "beaks" extending from the tips of the pods away from the stem.
Bastard Cabbage

Close-up of the stem and unopened flower buds. Note the hairs.
Bastard Cabbage

Mature leaf of Bastard Cabbage.
Bastard Cabbage

A seedling of Bastard Cabbage.
Bastard Cabbage


Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.
BastardCabbageTX

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
BastardCabbageNA

There's a yellow-flowered invader lining the roadsides and taking over fields of Texas and the rest of North America and it's name is Bastard Cabbage! Wow, that was a lot of "and"s in that previous sentence. Oh well. These plants prefer cool weather, fall through spring, during which time they're unfortunately everywhere. On the plus side, being a member of the brassica (mustard) family, pretty much all parts of this invader from southern Europe are edible.

Starting at the top and working our way down the plant, it's flowers have the standard mustard-family structure of four petals (yellow in this case) in an "X" arrangement surrounding six stamens, four of which are long and two stamens are short. The flowers grow in bunches off the stem and before they blow the highly-packed clusters look like tiny heads of broccoli, which is also a member of the mustard family. Below the flowers are seedpods arranged in a spiral up the stem. Note the "beak" jutting out from the top of the seedpod away from the stem.

The stem itself is somewhat hairy branched. The leaves at its base are large, broad, deeply lobed, and form a rosette whereas the leaves closer to the tops of the stems will be elongated, narrow, and unloved or very shallowly lobed. Underground, bastard cabbage forms a heavy taproot, similar to that of horseradish.

How do I eat this invasive species? The flowers and green seedpods I like raw straight off the plant or added to salads. The broccoli-like flower buds are also eaten raw or cooked like broccoli florets (drizzled with cheese!) The younger, tender leaves are cooked like turnip/collard greens, sautéing them with some garlic and bacon. The younger, tender parts of the stem do well when cooked/steamed like asparagus. I have yet to experiment with the roots but suspect a low-grade "horseradish" sauce could be made from them.


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Bamboo/River Cane

Scientific name: Arundinaria gigantea
Abundance: uncommon
What: seeds, young shoots
How: cooked/steamed
Where: river banks above high-water level
When: early spring through summer
Nutritional Value: small amounts of carbohydrates, protein, and vitamin C
Other uses: fishing poles, lattice structures, blow guns
Dangers: beware of deadly purple Ergot fungus.

Leaf Arrangement: Alternate, with each leaf spaced out along the culm (stem), which is characteristic of many grass species.

Leaf Shape: Lanceolate and elongated, typically 8 to 12 inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide.

Leaf Venation: Parallel venation is prominent, running the length of the leaf from base to tip.

Leaf Margin: Margins are serrulate, with fine teeth along the edge that are perceptible to touch.

Leaf Color: The foliage is a deep green, often turning yellow-green in fall.

Flower Structure: Inflorescences are panicles, branched and open, appearing terminal on the culms.

Flower Color: The small, individual flowers within the panicles are not showy, usually green or brownish.

Fruit: Produces a caryopsis, a grain typical of the Poaceae family, though fruiting is infrequent.

Seed: Seeds are small, enclosed within the dry fruit, and not commonly harvested or seen.

Stem: Known as culms in grasses, they are hollow, erect, and can reach heights of up to 25 feet. Interior is hollow between leaf nodes. Young sections of the culm will be green whereas older parts will be yellowish or brown.

Hairs: Young shoots may have a coating of fine hairs, which becomes less noticeable as the plant matures.

Height: Mature stands can range from 10 to 25 feet in height.


Rivercanes.
Rivercane1

River Cane IGFB

Rivercane
Rivercane1

Closeup of stem.
Rivercane2

Edible tips (peel off and discard the leaves).
River Cane

River Cane

Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.
BambooMapTX

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
BambooMapNA

Once thick canebrakes used to be found along many Texas streams where they formed their own distinctive ecosystems. Over-grazing by cattle, who love the leaves, along with other habitat destruction has greatly reduced these canebrakes, leading to the loss of certain species of warblers which nested exclusively in the safety of these bamboo stands. Their scientific name suggests that this bamboo can grow to gigantic sizes but in truth they rarely get over ¾” thick and more than 9’ tall.

Tender river cane shoots of any size can be eaten raw or used in stir-fries and other Asian-style dishes. Firmly grab the top of the cane and pull. Usually whatever comes off is tender enough to eat but nibble the bottom end to make sure it isn’t too hard or fibrous. Peel off and discard the leaves or use them to weave tiny baskets. I like the youngest shoots, less than three inches tall growing from what looks like clumps of grass.

River cane makes excellent fishing poles. They were also used by Native Americans to make baskets, arrows and blowguns. Some of you more mature plants probably received a whack or two from a rivercane after misbehaving.

River cane is slightly susceptible to ergot fungal infections. Closely examine any river cane for signs of a purple powdery substance before harvesting, especially during rainy summers following very cold winters. Ergot poisoning can lead to hallucinations followed by death. I have yet to find any river cane infected with ergot, but I still keep an eye out for this fungus.


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

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