Devil's Claw

Scientific Name(s): Proboscidea altheaefolia and Proboscidea parviflora
Abundance: uncommon
What: young seed pods, seeds
How: seed pods cooked; seeds raw or cooked
Where: fields, disturbed soil, full sun
When: summer
Nutritional Value: unknown

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

Leaf Shape: The leaves are heart-shape, with a lengths and widths of about 3 to 5 inches.

Leaf Venation: The venation is palmate.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is usually entire but may be wavy.

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

Flower Structure: The flowers are trumpet-shaped, with a unique long, slender projection resembling a unicorn's horn. The diameter of the flower is around 1 to 2 inches.

Flower Color: The flowers can range in color, including shades of white, pink, or purple.

Fruit: The fruit is a capsule, often curved, up to 9" long, and contains numerous seeds. After maturity, it dries and splits open longitudinally, with the tips of each side curving into a sharpe, clingy point. 

Seed: Seeds are small, flat, and have a papery wing for wind dispersal.

Stem: The stems are usually green, sometimes with a reddish tint, and much branching.

Hairs: The plant may have fine hairs on the stems, leaves, flowers, and seed pods.

Height: Devil's claw can reach a height of 1 to 3 feet.

Devil's Claw plant (Proboscidea altheaefolia).

Photo compliments of Burr Williams.


Photo compliments of Terri Cox.

Close-up of Proboscidea altheaefolia flower.

Photo compliments of Burr Williams.

Close-up of seedpods. Note the fine hairs on the pod.

Photo compliments of Burr Williams.


Photo compliments of Terri Cox.

Mature seedpod starting to split open.

Photo compliments of Terri Cox.

Fully dried and split seedpod.

Photo compliments of Terri Cox.

Devil's Claw (Proboscidea parviflora) plant.

Compliments of Brandy McDaniel.

Close-up of pink, annual Devil's Claw (Proboscidea parviflora) flower.

Compliments of Brandy McDaniel.

Close-up of pink, annual Devil's Claw (Proboscidea parviflora) seedpods.

Compliments of Brandy McDaniel.

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.



Across the sandy, arid areas of west and south Texas grows Devil's Claw...though sometimes its hooked seedpods deliver it all the way to east Texas fields, too! This large weed, practically a bush, appears after a good rain and then grows throughout the hot summer. Proboscidea parviflora is an annual which grows to maturity and then dies over the course of the summer. This annual species has pinkish flowers. The perennial is Proboscidea altheaefolia and it's flowers are yellowish-white. It may die back in the winter but then returns from its deep, thick taproot. The leaves of both species are heart-shaped, have sticky surfaces, and smell bad. Mature seedpods can reach fifteen inches in lengths. Seeds are black in color but a white-seeded variety was also grown by Native Americans. The pods split into two or sometimes three sections when mature.

The young, tender pods are cooked (boiled, steamed, or fried) before eating...but frying them like okra is the best. Boiled or steamed Devil's Claw pods are kind of an...acquired taste. If they are starting to get tough just leave them on the plant until the pod matures. This is indicated by the pod turning hard, brown/black in color, and beginning to split. At this point collect the seeds. They can be eaten raw but roasting them first improves the flavor. Once roasted they can be boiled as a porridge or ground into a gluten-free flour.

The fibers of the mature seedpods were prized for weaving baskets.

 

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.

Dodder

Scientific Name(s): Cuscuta species
Abundance: common
What: stem/vine; seeds
How: stem cooked, seeds roasted
Where: sunny fields, borders
When: spring, summer, fall
Nutritional Value: contains carotenoids
Dangers: WARNING: RECENT RESEARCH INDICATES CERTAIN COMPOUNDS IN DODDER CAN CAUSE DAMAGE OVER TIME. I NO LONGER RECCOMEND EATING THIS PLANT!!

Dodder covering plants along Spring creek.


Close-ups of dodder vines.






Close-up of dodder vine tip.


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.


Dodder vines are a fascinating example of plant parasitism. They contain only minimal amounts of chlorophyl and survive by sucking all their necessary nutrients from host plants. Chemical receptors on the dodder vine allow it to "smell" he presence of preferred host plants, causing the dodder to grow towards it's host like a slow, orange plant vampire.

In light of dodder's orange color it should not be surprising that it contains B-carotene and other carotenoids. This makes it a good nibble for your eyes...though ingesting it via the mouth is the better method. Trying to eat something with you eyes usually ends badly.

Sorry, I couldn't resist. I've been working too hard lately.

While dodder vines are rich in carotenoids, there is little in literature about eating these it. Steaming it like a carrot would probably be best but I haven't tried that yet. Studies confirm that the darker orange the stem/vine the higher the B-carotene concentration. In the fall the seeds were collected, roasted, and pounded into a flour by Native Americans

Dodder seeds supposedly have medicinal properties according to Chinese and Japanese herbal lore. Seeds from the Asian dodder Cuscuta japonica are used as an anti-aging drug, reversing many of the common weaknesses brought on in old age, especially for men. Western medicines have not confirmed any of these effects.

Link to scientific paper about dodder carotenoids.

Because dodder absorbs many chemicals from its host plants, it itself can become toxic. Only eat dodder harvested from plants you can positively identify as safe to eat!


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.

Epazote

Scientific Name(s): Dysphania ambrosioides (formerly Chenopodium ambrosoides)
Abundance: common
What: leaves
How: seasoning
Where: sandy soil along woodland borders
When: spring, summer
Nutritional Value: low
Dangers: use sparingly as a herb as high doses can be poisonous. ~1% of the population suffers an allergic reaction to epazote

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are arranged in an alternate pattern along the stem.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are generally lance-shaped or narrowly ovate, with lengths varying between 1.5 to 4 inches and widths of about 0.5 to 1 inch.

Leaf Venation: Venation is pinnate, with a prominent central vein and smaller veins branching out towards the leaf margins.

Leaf Margin: Leaf margins are serrated or toothed, particularly towards the leaf tip.

Leaf Color: The color of the leaves ranges from a dark green to a reddish-green, often with a matte finish.

Flower Structure: The flowers are small and inconspicuous, clustered in small, axillary spikes.

Flower Color: The flowers are typically greenish or whitish.

Fruit: The fruit is a tiny and green.

Seed: The seeds are minute, not typically noticeable unless the fruit is opened.

Stem: The stem is erect, branched, and can have reddish or purplish hues.

Hairs: Stems are hairy.

Height: The plant usually reaches heights of 2 to 3 feet.

Young epazote plants.


Top view of epazote plant.


3/4 tilt view of epazote.


Side view of epazote. Note the alternating leaves.


Close-up of epazote's hairy stem.


Topside of leaf. Note how the veins run to the points along the edge of the leaf.


Underside of the leaf. Note how the veins run to the points along the edge of the leaf.


Epazote flowers.


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.


Disturbed, sandy soil along woodland borders is the most likely place to find the ancient herb. If you are familiar with lamb's quarter's appearance you're half way to identifying this plant. Epazote leaves alternate up the stem and look like elongated versions of lamb's quarter leaves. This plant will branch out some, usually from near the bottom of the plant. Trimming its top will cause multiple sprouts continuing to grow from the cut spot. By the end of its growing season it can be five feet tall and somewhat leggy. The most distinctive part of this plant is its scent. To me the crushed leaves smell like lemons soaked in gasoline. Other people think it smells more like brake fluid or some sort of industrial cleaner. It's hard to believe something who's name translates into "skunk sweat" is used heavily in cooking! But throughout the ages it has been a key flavor in South American dishes, especially in the areas of the Yucatan and Veracruz areas of Mexico.

Considering how strong of flavor it has only a few leaves are needed to impart the correct citrusy tones to bean dishes. Why is it added to beans? Well, it turns out Epazote contains some compounds that are particularly good at breaking down bean proteins, making them more readily digested by the human body. A side effect of this "pre-digestion" is the gas-producing effects of beans is reduced. The leaves can be dried but fresh is preferred when cooking.

Epazote flowers and seeds resemble those of lamb's quarter, with the flowers being tiny, green, and numerous and the seeds being tiny and brown. Due to the high concentration of ascaridole in the seeds, I don't recommend eating them like lamb's quarter seeds.

The ascaridole oil found in Epazote leaves is used as a deworming (vermifuge) agent and was taken as a tea made from the leaves and seeds to rid the humans and animals of tapeworms, ringworms, and other parasitic worms. To expel the dead worms from the body, a laxative was also taken. However, the levels of this oil needed to kill worms is very close to what would be fatal to humans, too. This makes Epazote an anti-worming agent of last resort, modern medicines are much safer.


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.

Filaree

Scientific Name(s): Erodium texanum, Erodium cicutarium
Abundance: common
What: leaves, flowers, young fruit, root, seeds
How: raw, cooked
Where: disturbed areas, moist, sunny, fields, yards
When: spring
Nutritional Value: vitamins
Dangers: don't mistake Carolina Geranium for Filaree.

Medicinal Summary:
Leaves/Flowers - antibacterial; antifungal; antiviral (interferon induction); antioxidant; anti-inflammatory; analgesic (tisane)

Texas Filaree (Erodium texanum) structural features:

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged in a basal rosette pattern at the base of the plant.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are pinnately compound, with each leaf divided into several deeply lobed leaflets. The overall leaf length is typically around 2 to 6 inches.

Leaf Venation: Venation is pinnate, with a central vein from which smaller veins branch out within each leaflet.

Leaf Margin: The margins of the leaflets are irregularly lobed and toothed.

Leaf Color: Leaves are a light to medium green, sometimes with hints of red or purple, especially in the leaf veins.

Flower Structure: Flowers are borne on long, slender stalks rising from the basal rosette. Each stalk typically bears one to several flowers.

Flower Color: The flowers are pink to lavender, with five petals. Each petal is about 0.5 to 1 inch in length.

Fruit: The fruit is a long, slender, beak-like capsule, often referred to as a "stork's bill."

Seed: The seeds are contained within the elongated capsule, small and hard.

Stem: The flowering stems are erect and slender, emerging from the basal rosette.

Hairs: The plant may have fine hairs, particularly on the stems and the undersides of the leaves.

Height: The plant typically grows to a height of about 6 to 18 inches.

Texas Filaree (Erodium texanum) seeding.


Slightly larger Texas Filaree. Those purple/red leaves are quite distinctive.


Still larger Texas Filaree (Erodium texanum).

Change in leaves as they mature.

Redstem Filaree (Erodium cicutarium) structural features

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are arranged in a basal rosette pattern at the base of the plant.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are pinnately compound, with each leaf divided into several deeply lobed leaflets. The overall leaf length varies, typically around 1.5 to 3 inches long.

Leaf Venation: Venation is pinnate, with a central vein running through each leaflet and smaller veins branching off.

Leaf Margin: The margins of the leaflets are finely dissected or lacy.

Leaf Color: Leaves exhibit a medium to dark green color, sometimes with reddish hues under stress conditions.

Flower Structure: Flowers are borne on slender, erect stalks that extend above the basal rosette. Each stalk supports a small cluster of flowers.

Flower Color: The flowers are small, with five petals each, usually pink or lilac in color, sometimes with darker veins. Each petal is typically about 0.2 to 0.4 inches long.

Fruit: The fruit is a long, slender capsule, resembling a stork's bill, which is characteristic of the Erodium genus.

Seed: Seeds are small, enclosed within the elongated capsule, and have a unique shape that aids in their dispersal.

Stem: The flowering stems are thin and hairy, originating from the basal rosette.

Hairs: The plant has fine hairs covering the stems and the leaves, giving them a slightly fuzzy appearance.

Height: Erodium cicutarium typically reaches a height of about 10 to 20 inches when in flower.

Redstem Filaree (Erodium cicutarium) plants. Note the red growths on some of the leaves.




Close-up of Redstem Filaree (Erodium cicutarium) leaves.




Close-up of Redstem Filaree (Erodium cicutarium) flowers.


Close-up of Redstem Filaree (Erodium cicutarium) fruit that gives it its other name, 'Storkbill".




Redstem Filaree (Erodium cicutarium) seedling.


Texas distribution of Erodium texanum, 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 of Erodium texanum, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.


Texas distribution of Erodium cicutarium, 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 of Erodium cicutarium, attributed to U.S. Department of Agriculture.


Plants define the ecological zones of Texas. Seeing the reddish, prostrate, rosettes of Filarree tell me the acidic soils of East Texas are shifting to the more alkaline, chalky soil of the Hill Country and farther west. Filler seems to thrive in damaged, barren soils such as walking/riding trails to the cracks in driveways and parking lots. This is one tough plant!

In most high-traffic places you'll find this plant it creeps low to the ground but in wilder, unmowed/untrampled areas it sends it's frilly, lobed leaves upwards along with its 5-petaled, purple flowers. The flowers grow in clusters at the ends of thin, hairy stalks. These flowers eventually turn into long 'beaked" seedpods that give these plants the alternative name of "Storkbill".

Pretty much all parts of this plant are edible, though it can be somewhat bitter raw. Cook the leaves like you would spinach or just steam them. The flowers are okay raw and while I suppose one could treat the seedpods like okra I have yet to confirm that. The seeds are actually quite nutritious with a good dose of vitamin K, according to Green Deane.



WARNING: Carolina Geranium (Geranium carolinianum) flowers and seedpods look slightly similar but it's not edible. The leaves of Carolina geranium are "hand" shaped whereas Filaree leaves are more "Christmas Tree" shaped.

Carolina Geranium flowers and leaves - too bitter to eat.


Carolina Geranium seedpods.


Carolina Geranium roots are strongly astringent and after being dried and powdered were placed in wounds to stop bleeding. The powdered Carolina Geranium roots were also gargled to sooth sore throats.


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.