Gayfeather/Liatris

Scientific Name(s): Liatris spicata and other Liatris species
Abundance: uncommon
What: root/tuber
How: roasted
Where: open fields, landscaping
When: fall, winter
Nutritional Value: calories

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are arranged in a basal rosette at the base and alternately along the stem.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are linear to lanceolate, with lengths varying from 1 to 3 inches and widths about 0.1 to 0.6 inches.

Leaf Venation: Venation is parallel, with a central vein prominent on each leaf.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margins are entire, with no serrations or lobes.

Leaf Color: Leaves are typically a medium to dark green.

Flower Structure: The flowers are arranged in dense, spike-like clusters at the top of erect, stiff stems.

Flower Color: The flowers are typically purple, sometimes ranging to pink or white, with each individual flower small and tubular.

Fruit: The fruit is a small, dry, one-seeded achene.

Seed: Seeds are contained within the achenes, small and hard.

Stem: The stem is tall, erect, and unbranched, often with a rough texture.

Hairs: Leaves and stem can be covered in fine, grayish hairs.

Height: The plant can grow to a height of 2 to 4 feet.

Edible gayfeather tuber.


Young gayfeather plant (early June in Houston).


A stand of gayfeather plants.


Close-up of gayfeather stand.


Close-up of gayfeather flower.


Close-up of gayfeather flower before opening.


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.


There are quite a few different species of Gayfeathers growing in stands across the fields, prairies, ditches, and woodland glades of Texas and North America. All are considered non-poisonous but only a few of them produce tubers big enough to be worth eating. Their tall, unbranching spikes start green, then erupt with many small, purple flowers, followed by browning as they dry. During the winter months clusters of these old stalks are easy spot, even through snow on the central plains. The drought-resistant Liatris spica are becoming popular in low-water xeriscapes and can often be found at big-box home improvement stores.

Gayfeather tubers continue to grow larger year after year but only the latest-year's portion is tender enough to eat, with the common species Liatris spica being considered the best. Memorize the location of the summer-blooming purple flower stalks for harvesting the tubers in the fall and winter. Once harvested, use these tubers as you would potatoes. They do well boiled or roasted.


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Chanterelle Mushrooms

Scientific Name(s): Cantharellus cinnabarinus, Cantharellus texensis, Cantharellus lateritius, Cantharellus cibarius
Abundance: uncommon
What: above ground caps and stems
How: cooked
Where: woodlands, near oaks; some yards
When: spring, summer
Nutritional Value: minor
Dangers:

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Cantharellus cibarius.




Note how the gills run down into the stem.
















Cross-section showing the false gills. There is no demarcation between the cap and the "gill" structures, they are all one continuous unit.

Cantharellus cibarius Structural Features::

Growth Form: A highly prized, fragrant, edible mushroom, typically found on forest floors in summer and autumn. It has a symbiotic, mutualistic association with tree roots, often found near oak and beech trees.

Cap Shape and Size: Funnel-shaped with a diameter up to 4 inches, featuring a wavy, irregular margin, and varying from light yellow to deep egg-yolk yellow.

Gills or Pores: The gills are actually ridges that are forked and generally have blunt edges, wavy, and always decurrent.

Stipe Characteristics: The stem is central, fleshy, curved, smooth, and measures 2.4-3 inches long and 0.2-0.4 inches wide.

Odor: Has a somewhat apricot-like scent.

Spore Color: Pale yellow to creamy white, sometimes with a slight pinkish tinge.

Substrate and Habitat: Found in deciduous forest soils near oak, often under beech trees. Grows in many countries including Canada, the U.S., Europe, the Mediterranean, parts of eastern and southern Australia, and parts of Asia.

Other Characteristics: The chanterelle's flesh is thick and firm. 

Cantharellus lateritius false gills aren't as produced as those of other chanterelles.

Cantharellus lateritius Structural Features:

Growth Form: Mycorrhizal with oaks and sometimes hickories. Found growing alone, scattered, gregariously, densely gregariously, or in loose clusters during summer and fall. Widely distributed east of the Rocky Mountains.

Cap Shape and Size: 1-3.15 inches across; planoconvex to flat when young, becoming shallowly vase-shaped with an incurved, wavy, and irregular margin. Color ranges from bright orange-yellow to egg-yolk yellow. ally more developed wrinkles near the margin. Colored like the cap but paler, often with a pinkish hue.

Stipe Characteristics: 1-2.5 inches long, 0.5-1.2 inches thick, tapering to the base. The stem is bald, colored like the cap or paler, and bruises slowly yellowish to orangish brown.

Bruising: Bruises slowly yellowish to orangish brown, occasionally blackening at the margin.

Gills or Pores: The undersurface runs down the stem; smooth or with shallow wrinkles, occasionally more developed wrinkles near the margin. Colored like the cap but paler, often with a pinkish hue.

Odor: The taste is not distinctive, but the odor is usually strong, fragrant, and sweet, reminiscent of apricots.

Spore Color: Pale pinkish yellow.

Substrate and Habitat: Found in deciduous forest soils near oak, often under beech trees.

Cantharellus texensis

Cantharellus texensis & Cantharellus cinnabarinus Structural Features: 

Growth Form:  Typically grows in the traditional "toadstool" shape, in a solitary or scattered pattern.

Cap Shape and Size: The cap is funnel-shaped, with a size ranging from 1 to 2.5 inches in diameter. It exhibits a bright orange to cinnabar-red color.

Gills or Pores: This mushroom features false gills that are shallow, well-spaced, and run down (decurrent) the stem. The gills are the same color as the cap.

Stipe Characteristics: The stipe (stem) is 1 to 2.5 inches long and 0.25 to 0.5 inches thick, with a color similar to the cap. It is smooth and solid.

Odor: They have a mild, fruity odor, not easily distinguishable.

Bruising: Bruising is not a significant characteristic for this species; there are no notable changes in color when bruised.

Spore Color: The spores are pale yellow to white in color.

Substrate and Habitat: Like most North Anerican Cantharellus, these are commonly found in hardwood forests, particularly under oaks, in the spring and fall.

Other Characteristics: Notable for its bright color, these mushrooms have a peppery taste.  

Walking through the Texas hard wood forests after several days of summer rain, a forager's eye will invariably spot gold and bright red mushrooms growing up from the forest floor, especially along ravines and washes. Most commonly, they will be near oak trees as these fungi treasures have developed a symbiotic relationship trading needed chemicals with the oak roots. They seem to like daytime temperatures between 80F and 100F. I personally use Mother's Day as the signal to start looking and September 1st as the end date.

There are several key physical traits you need to look for on chanterelles to properly identify these awesome, edible mushrooms. That they grow out of the ground in hardwood forests has already been stated. They do NOT grow on living or dead wood. All chanterelles have false gills, meaning their cap and gill structures are one continuous unit. They don't have gills but rather the underside of the cap is very wrinkled to the point of looking like gills. When cut in half it is easy to see there's no change in between the cap and the false gill material. These false gills will run down and merge into the stem, a term described as "decurrent". The stem lacks any ring or bulb at it's base. Several mushrooms may be joined together at the base of their stems. The caps are shaped like an upside down bowl when very young but soon invert into a funnel (convex) shape. Spore prints will be light gray/white in color.

Chanterelles sautéed in butter with a bit of garlic and a splash of homemade wine is very hard to beat. These mushrooms can be used in all the "normal" ways that mushrooms are cooked. The golden chanterelles has a mild, almost fruity flavor while the red cinnabarinus have a spicy, peppery flavor. They dry well for longterm storage and are usually rehydrated in hot water before use.

There are two poisonous mushrooms in my opinion that a novice might mistake for chanterelles. These poisonous mushrooms are Sulfur Tufts (Hypholoma fasciculare) and Jack O'Lanterns (Omphalotus illudens). Let's look at those, starting with the Sulfur Tuft mushroom.

Sulfur Tufts (POISONOUS!) going off buried pine root.




Unlike chanterelles, sulfur tufts grow on the dead wood of pines. Their caps will look similar to chanterelle but sulfur tufts have true gills and these gills may start yellowish but turn greenish then darken greatly as spore production gets heavy. The gills come to a sharp stop at the stem. Spore prints will be purple-brown.

Jack O'Lantern (POISONOUS!)


Like the sulfur tufts and again unlike chanterelles, Jack O'lanterns grow on dead/dying hardwood. They are dark orange in color, and have true gills which end at the stem. Jack o'lantern spore prints will be pale, creamy, or yellowish.

By Antonio Abbatiello [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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Greenbriar

Scientific name: Smilax spp.
Abundance: plentiful
What: tender vines (portion easily snapped off by hand), tendrils, tubers, leaves, berries
How: vines and tendrils are eaten raw, steamed or baked; roots are sliced, then pounded and boiled to free starch; berries eaten raw or made into jams or jelly
Where: shady forests
When: All year
Nutritional Value: tubers high in starch & minerals; leaves & stems high assorted vitamins and minerals.
Dangers: sharp thorns

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves of greenbriar are arranged alternately along the stem.

Leaf Shape: Leaves are typically simple and vary in shape, ranging from ovate to lanceolate, depending on the species.

Leaf Venation: Palmate venation, with multiple veins running from the base to the edges of each leaf.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is typically entire or slightly toothed.

Leaf Color: The leaves can vary in color but are often medium to dark green. Mottling may be present on some species.

Flower Structure: Greenbriar produces clusters of small, inconspicuous flowers.

Flower Color: Flowers are typically greenish-white or greenish-yellow.

Fruit: The fruit is typically a berry, often round or oval in shape, and can be red, dark blue, or black, depending on the species. Skin is thin but tough, inside is a clear or gray/offwhite flesh that is very chewy.

Seed: Inside the berry are small seeds.

Stem: The stem is typically climbing or trailing, often with thorns or prickles, for the first 9 feet in height. Two tendrils grow from the base of each leaf. 

Root: The roots produce large, woody tubers with red-pink skins. Flesh inside the tubers will be white or faint pink when you, turning more red and tough/woody as the tuber ages. 

Hairs: Smilax are generally hairless

Height: Greenbriar is a climbing or trailing vine and can reach varying heights depending on its support structure.

Edible tip of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine.


Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) vine tip.


Edible tip of other Greenbriar. Note the thorns and two tendrils at base of leaf.


Greenbriars and Catbriars are the only vines with both thorns and tendrils.






Greenbriar (bullbriar) tubers and vines.


Same tuber body as above after digging up. The youngest, best tuber will be the white one next to where the vine joins the tubers.


This is an ideal Greenbriar tuber!


Some tubers turned up by a construction crew.


Close-up of greenbriar (bullbriar) tuber.


Berries in January. They have a slight sweet taste and contain 1-2 inedible seeds.




Slicing up a tuber in preparation for collecting it's starch.


Dried slices of greenbriar (bullbriar) naturally turn reddish-orange.


Leaves of different types of Catbriar. They are all palmate-veined.


Edible tip of catbriar.






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.


If there's woods near you there's likely Greenbriar in those woods! Greenbriar is one of the best wild foods available as it can be found in immense quantities all year-round, it's vine tips taste really good, they are very nutritious, and its tubers are a great source of calories. Greenbriars are the only vines that have both tendrils and thorns making them easy to identify.

To find the edible tips just pull on the greenbriar vine until you get to it's top end. You can eat any soft, tender portion of the plant (stem, leaves, and tendrils). The vines may grow as a single stalk or branch out into many vines ranging in diameter from 1/8" to over 3/4". Multiple branching vines are more common with smaller-diameter plants. These above ground portions of the plant can all be eaten raw, the leaves and tendrils can also be cooked like spinach, and the vines can cooked like asparagus.

Track the thickest vines back to their buried tubers. These tubers can form a mass up to 75 pounds but are difficult to dig due to their many long roots. Due to their highly fibrous nature, Greenbriar tubers can't be used like potatoes. The starch produced from the tubers may have an astringent, odd taste but it is rich in calories. It is exceptionally good at thickening stews and even water to the point of becoming almost Jello-like. Native Americans would slow roast the tubers under a fire for several days, then chew the cooked starch out of the tubers and spit out the fibers. The youngest tubers are the best to harvest. They will be the lightest in color though the color may be white, light pink, light purple or light yellow.

The starch was also collected by slicing the tubers into 1/4" disks, letting them dry in the sun for a few days, then crumbing the disks in a large bowl of water. The granules of starch fall to the bottom of the bowl and the fibers float to the top. The water and fibers were discarded and the starch was dried and then ground up for use as flour. It still has a bitter taste but it'll give you calories.

The tubers can also be shaved into small pieces and then boiled to make a tea. I prefer to first roast the tubers under a hot fire for a while to the point where their outer skin begins to blacken. Peel off the burned parts, dice up the rest then boil in water to make a vaguely root beer/caramel flavored tea. Getting the right amount of roasting to get this flavor requires some practice.


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.