Sow-thistle, White Lettuce, Cattail 30 APR 2013 EDIBLE PLANTS Sow-thistle, White Lettuce, Cattail 30 APR 2013 SOW-THISTLE PRENANTHES, WHITE LETTUCE CATTAIL http://ma-eppc.org/weedrecipes.html

PERENNIAL SOW-THISTLE Sonchus arvensis Native to Europe Perennial plant Aka-field sow-thistle Plants 0.5 to 2 m in height Leaves 2-15 x 6-40 cm, pinnately lobed, margins prickly Flowering heads loosely branched

PERENNIAL SOW-THISTLE Sonchus arvensis Involucre bracts and peduncle covered with coarse, spreading, gland-tipped hairs Bracts 14-22 mm

PERENNIAL SOW-THISTLE Sonchus arvensis Flowers: heads comprised of ray florets only, about 150-235 florets per head, heads 3-5 cm across, achenes 2.5-3.5 mm A cosmopolitan weed Used as a leafy green, quite variable in bitterness Best to use the young leaves of spring and early summer If too bitter mix with blander greens

COMMON SOW-THISTLE Sonchus oleraceus Native to Europe Annual plant Plants: 0.1 to 2 m in height Leaves 1-15 x 6-30 cm, note leaf bases clasping the stem

COMMONN SOW-THISTLE Sonchus oleraceus

COMMON SOW-THISTLE Sonchus oleraceus Flowers heads comprised of ray florets only Heads 1.5 – 2.5 cm wide, 80-250 florets per head, achenes 2.5-3.5 mm Achenes with a wrinkled surface and with longitudinal ribs A cosmopolitan weed Uses: leaves used in salads or as a potherb peeled tender stems make a good vegetable, raw or cooked try stems in stir-fry or steamed with other vegetables http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWQ4nGraAdI&list=UULRDaR2ywG1APiwUzeTwrJw&index=5

PRICKLY SOW-THISTLE Sonchus asper Native to Europe Annual plant The leaf base is lobed and termed an auricle

PRICKLY SOW-THISTLE Sonchus asper Flower heads comprised of ray florets only, heads 1.5-2.5 cm Head in visible light Head as seen by insects Achenes several-nerved Uses: prepared stems as with S. olareous young leaves are preferred due to spines of older leaves

PRICKLY SOW-THISTLE Sonchus asper http://books.google.com/books?id=Q-AZur2fNUwC&pg=PA314&lpg=PA314&dq=sonchus+asperedible&source=bl&ots=yFPL3qCh7E&sig=xNJdcm4txQYrbSGaC1pejTLCLBU&hl=en&ei=ncrfTvfeEqfL0QGI1JCaBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CFwQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

PRENANTHES, WHITE LETTUCE Prenanthes alba Native Aka white rattlesnake root, lion’s foot Leaves: basal leaves deeply and erratically lobed, coarsely toothed, up to 30 cm in length, the petiole about as long as the leaf blade, usually several basal leaves may be seen in a cluster on the ground Flowering: stems are hollow, unbranched, 0.5 to 2 m in height, leaf size decreases with height along the stem Range: eastern N. Amer. Habitat: forests and woodlands, commonly seen where soil has been disturbed

PRENANTHES, WHITE LETTUCE Prenanthes alba Flower heads occur along the upper third of the plant, heads appear in nodding clusters with the styles protruding, heads appear white to pink in color, about nine florets per head, each head 8 mm long, flowering Aug to Sep Heads with 8-15 florets Involucre not hairy

PRENANTHES, WHITE LETTUCE Prenanthes alba The basal leaves are used in place of wild lettuce and a great addition to salads Older basal leaves are not any more bitter than younger basal leaves Boiling reduces any bitter flavor when used as a potherb The leaves along the stem are definitely more bitter than the basal leaves

COMMON CAT-TAIL Typha latifolia Stems 1-3 m Leaves flat, 10-23 mm wide, 1-2 m long Cosmopolitan, throughout our range, thee common sp inland Seen in clean marshes and wetlands

COMMON CAT-TAIL Typha latifolia Pistillate and staminate portions contiguous Pistillate portion brown, 2-3 x 10-15 cm at maturity http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Cattails.html

COMMON CAT-TAIL Typha latifolia Young sprouts, harvest in the spring and prepare as asparagus Young stems up to 1 m may be prepared similarly, remove the outer leaf and rind to obtain the spongy core, aka “Cossack asparagus” or eat raw, or add to salads Green immature flower spikes while still contained in papery coverings, boil, coat with butter and eat as corn on the cob Mature, dry pollen can be collected and mixed with wheat flour for a protein rich flour for muffins, fritters, pancake batter Flour can be obtained from rhizomes by a wet method or dry method wet- clean rhizomes, peel to get the fibrous core, crush in water, starch falls to the bottom , after settling pure starch results dry- dried rhizomes are crushed starch is separated from the fibers by sieving or sifting

COMMON CAT-TAIL Typha latifolia Sifting cattail pollen Cattail pollen muffins

COMMON CAT-TAIL Typha latifolia Cattail pollen biscuits Cattail pollen pancakes http://ma-eppc.org/weedrecipes.html

NARROW-LEAVED CAT-TAIL Typha angustifolia Stems 1-1.5 m Leaves 5-11 mm wide Pistillate and staminate portions separated by 2-12 cm Pistillate portion deep brown, 1-2 x 10-20 cm at maturity This species is more tolerant of salts than the common cat-tail and is seen often along highway drainages