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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: sweet-pea on April 27, 2005, 16:10:40

Title: anyone know what this is?
Post by: sweet-pea on April 27, 2005, 16:10:40
I was given this by a friend, but she doesn't know what it is.  She said it's edible, although I haven't tried it. 
Does anyone recognise what it might be?

(http://www-users.york.ac.uk/~kle1/Kate/Gallery/EJC2004/web/IMG_1700.JPG)

(http://www-users.york.ac.uk/~kle1/Kate/Gallery/EJC2004/web/IMG_1701.JPG)
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: derbex on April 27, 2005, 17:02:11
Looks a bit like my claytonia, leaves are similar, but it grows in a bit more of a defined rosette.
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: simon404 on April 27, 2005, 20:40:20
It looks like a weed to me, but I don't know the name. I've seen it in someones garden and it is utterly rampant, spreading by woody underground runners through the borders and the lawn. That's the only time I've seen it until I saw your photo. I can't be 100% sure of course but my advice would be get it out of the ground and into a pot, if it produces masses of roots (comparative to its size) then chuck it in the nearest wheelie bin!
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: selwyn-smith on April 28, 2005, 16:46:23
I think it's claytonia too
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: sweet-pea on April 28, 2005, 17:18:40
I don't think it's claytonia as I haven't seen  it flower, and the pictures I've seen of claytonia have the stem in the centre of the leaf.  The stem on my plant is at the edge of the leaf.
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: NattyEm on April 28, 2005, 17:36:15
It doesn't look like claytonia to me.  Dunno what it does look like mind you.  Plus I've never seen claytonia still growing, just in a bag delivered with my vegbox.  I should probably not answer this really!
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: selwyn-smith on April 28, 2005, 17:49:06
I have just realised what it is, not calytonia but golden purslane, sorry I knew I recognised it. :)
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: the_snail on April 28, 2005, 18:25:03
I like the pic what did you use to take the picture! (Dont say a camera :P) Was it a digi camera and if yes how many pixels? 2.0 megapixel? Or 3.0?

The reason why I am asking is that I am intending to invest in a Digi camera so I can take pics of plants and allotment for my website.
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: BAGGY on April 29, 2005, 00:20:17
what's claytonia ? Is it salad leaf ?  If so is it bitter.  \i don't much care for bitter salad.  I am a salad woos
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: sweet-pea on April 29, 2005, 09:51:47
Quote from: selwyn-smith on April 28, 2005, 17:49:06
I have just realised what it is, not calytonia but golden purslane, sorry I knew I recognised it. :)


I just looked at pictures on web of purslane, and I don't think it's that either, leaves are a different shape. 
I'm hoping it might flower this year, might make it easier to identify.
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: sweet-pea on April 29, 2005, 10:04:26
Quote from: the_sexy_snail on April 28, 2005, 18:25:03
I like the pic what did you use to take the picture! (Dont say a camera :P) Was it a digi camera and if yes how many pixels? 2.0 megapixel? Or 3.0?

The reason why I am asking is that I am intending to invest in a Digi camera so I can take pics of plants and allotment for my website.

Yes it's a digi camera, I think it's 4.0 megapixel.  I'd definitely recommend a digi camera, especially since you can take as many pictures as you like and then just delete all the bad ones.  I'm sure I've saved a fortune on developing as I only get hard copies of the ones I really like.  The only downside I find with mine is when taking pictures of things that are moving, sometimes it can be a bit slow in taking the picture so I miss the shot I'm trying to get, but there's probably ways around that I guess.
In terms of megapixels, make sure it has at least 3.0, I don't think 4.0 and above are needed unless you are planning on enlarging photo's to more than A4 size. But I'm definitely no expert, just remembering some of the things I read when I was choosing mine.
Mine also has x3 optical zoom, but wish it had more as I find that not enough.  The digital zoom doesn't give as clear a picture even if you can zoom in closer.
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: sweet-pea on April 29, 2005, 10:06:58
Quote from: BAGGY on April 29, 2005, 00:20:17
  \i don't much care for bitter salad.  I am a salad woos

me neither.  Used to really annoy me when I used to buy the salad bags from supermarket, as they always seemed to have at least one bitter leaf in them!
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: the_snail on April 29, 2005, 10:22:23
Thanks for the reply and info Sweet-Pea :)
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: sweet-pea on April 29, 2005, 10:31:17
happy to help  :)
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: Palustris on April 29, 2005, 10:51:38
Ice plant? Mesambryanthemum  crystalinum.
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: sweet-pea on April 29, 2005, 11:00:44
Haven't managed to find any good photo's of the ice plant leaves for comparison, but the ones I did find don't look like what I have. The ice plant looks a bit like an alpine plant, and mine definitely doesn't

Think I'll try and get a better photo of the leaves this weekend.
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: moonbells on April 29, 2005, 11:44:02
Quote from: the_sexy_snail on April 28, 2005, 18:25:03
I like the pic what did you use to take the picture! (Dont say a camera :P) Was it a digi camera and if yes how many pixels? 2.0 megapixel? Or 3.0?

The reason why I am asking is that I am intending to invest in a Digi camera so I can take pics of plants and allotment for my website.

I would recommend www.dpreview.com as the place to start: they review just about every digicam out there and have exhaustive tests so you can see how they compare with other cameras. In reading the results for my old camera (5 years now Canon S10, 2megapixel and x2 zoom) I discovered several things about it that I hadn't been aware of!

You can get several digicams now with built-in large zooms (Canon have one which has a x10, which also gives you 30min of 640x480 video or 60min of 320x240!) or if you have lots of cash, you could splash out on a digital SLR.  But they *are* expensive and only really worth it if photography is a serious hobby or a job.

I read something a few months back that said x3 zoom and 3 megapixels were sufficient for most purposes. Bear in mind you'll also need some archive method eg CD writer, a decent printer (possibly) and somewhere cool/dryto keep the CDs so they don't degrade. I personally back up to two separate CDs (separate recordings) in case one stops being readable. Which they do. Especially if you put paper labels on them!

Oh and make sure your PC can upload the pics, too.  I use a combination memory card reader as it's faster than the camera interface. With the first digicam it sometimes took upto an hour and a half to download 48MB as I only had a serial cable!

moonbells
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: sweet-pea on April 29, 2005, 11:49:24
Quote from: moonbells on April 29, 2005, 11:44:02

I would recommend www.dpreview.com as the place to start: they review just about every digicam out there and have exhaustive tests so you can see how they compare with other cameras.


Good suggestion Moonbells, I used that site too when I was looking into getting my camera  :)
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: kenkew on April 29, 2005, 13:34:06
This topic has changed to camera's, but I bought one fromhere.
http://www.dabs.com/uk
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: simon404 on April 29, 2005, 22:31:01
I still only think I know what it isn't. I don't think it's claytonia, it doesn't look like the one on the other thread. Nor purslane because that grows a foot high and this is a rosette. the weed I'm thinking of I should have described the roots/runners as long thin woody, throwing up more plants some distance away.  ??? stuck now  >:(   hey-ho  :)
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: the_snail on April 30, 2005, 16:01:51
WOW thanks for all the info folks :o  ;D I will be looking into is shortly. Hopefully you will see some pics of my allotment :D
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: MagpieDi on April 30, 2005, 23:19:45
Quote from: simon404 on April 27, 2005, 20:40:20
It looks like a weed to me, but I don't know the name. I've seen it in someones garden and it is utterly rampant, spreading by woody underground runners through the borders and the lawn.

Hi Simon  ;D  Could the one you're thinking of be Pennywort ??

Sweet-Pea  ;D  The leaves on your plant look a bit cyclamen-like. The only edible plant I can think of with simiilar leaves belongs to the Wild Ginger family.. Just a maybe !!   :-\
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: sweet-pea on May 09, 2005, 13:39:39
Have finally got a close up of a leaf! I'm still not sure about what it is, but I think the closest suggestion so far, ice plant, might be it, although I still think the leaves look different.

(http://www-users.york.ac.uk/~kle1/Kate/Gallery/EJC2004/web/IMG_1718.JPG)

Thanks for all the suggestions from people  :)
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: Tagetes on May 15, 2005, 09:05:31
I think it is bucler-leaf sorrel, Rumex scutatus. There is a very pretty variety around with silvery dots on the leaves. It taste just like ordinary sorrel. I have a huge plant in the garden and use the whole leaves in salads.
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: sweet-pea on May 17, 2005, 11:28:40
I think you're right about the sorrel.  Had a taste of the leaves at the weekend and they were very acidic and lemony in taste. Thanks
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: Lizard Man on May 21, 2005, 08:02:42
Sweet-pea,
Is acidic and lemony a good taste?
Title: Re: anyone know what this is?
Post by: sweet-pea on May 24, 2005, 15:41:36
Quote from: Lizard Man on May 21, 2005, 08:02:42
Is acidic and lemony a good taste?

normally I like a lemony taste, and I do like sorrel in small quantities, but these leaves are way too acidic for me, I only had a tiny bite.  I can't imagine actually wanting to eat much of them!