Poison hemlock and fools parsley

FishFacePhil

I've started learning about the weeds that grow in Ireland, because plenty of them are superfoods (i.e. nettles, yarrow, hawthorn and bilberry) so knowing how to identify the various weeds you see in Ireland is an excellent way to obtain free food. On top of that, food picked wild is generally much more nutrient rich than food that is imported and sits on the shelves of supermarkets for days before you buy them.

I'm starting with distinctive looking weeds with flowers that I see in fields. Today when I was walking through a field, I saw loads of weeds with these kinda flowers:

At first I thought it might be yarrow, but then I noticed that the leaves look like large parsley leaves. I read that a common weed in Ireland is fools parsley (Aethusa cynapium). Whats confusing me is some sites seem to use the term fools parsley to refer to poison hemlock (Conium macalatum). To add to my confusion, they look nearly identical:


Are these two different plants? Are they both commonly found in Ireland? I'm guessing they are both toxic, but I hear poison hemlock is exceptionally dangerous. Would fools parsley be as toxic as poison hemlock.


SIDE QUESTION: I spotted a few weeds that had similar looking flowers but they were yellow instead of white. It reminded me of a story someone told me about these yellow weeds in a field, he said when horses eat them they get jaundice due to a toxin in the plant. Anyone know what these yellow flowered plants I'm referring to are?

jd1959

Intresting subject, I personally would stay clear of the umbellifer / Apiaceae family of plants your looking at for sampling until you've been shown by someone who is confident of their skills in identification as there is a risk in poisoning yourself badly. Many are edible many aren't.

Many other plants and berries that edible are around either as garden escapees or growing wild some that come to mind are, shepherds purse, burdock, carnelian cherry, Mahonia, ash keys and berries, lime leaves, clovers, plantain, fiddle heads (fern) any number of the onion and garlic family, and of course don't forget the elder and blackberries.

I'll mention mushrooms there are many edible but you run a huge risk, incorrect identification you will have a varying range of symptoms from upset stomach to death... you will die horribly if eating the wrong ones such as destroying angle and death caps. Bill at mushroomstuff.com does some fun hunts, id, and cooking in the fall if your interested in mushrooms.

Just be sure of your identification and preparation, some like ferns will make you sick unless cooked properly. It has been suggested to me to keep a bit of whatever you try in the freezer in case of poisoning or reaction, it might save your life... in saying that us humans can eat a huge range of stuff without any problem, lovely being an omnivore.

Personally I've found there are loads of edibles around but you'd want to be hungry to eat most of them .

An excellent website to look through is www.pfaf.org.

Jd

marizpan

SIDE QUESTION: I spotted a few weeds that had similar looking flowers but they were yellow instead of white. It reminded me of a story someone told me about these yellow weeds in a field, he said when horses eat them they get jaundice due to a toxin in the plant. Anyone know what these yellow flowered plants I'm referring to are?[/quote]

Sounds like ragwort

GY A1

marizpan wrote: »

SIDE QUESTION: I spotted a few weeds that had similar looking flowers but they were yellow instead of white. It reminded me of a story someone told me about these yellow weeds in a field, he said when horses eat them they get jaundice due to a toxin in the plant. Anyone know what these yellow flowered plants I'm referring to are?

Sounds like ragwort[/QUOTE]

hi
yes yellow ones in fields can be ragworth, its amazing that the weed is ok while growing and animals will ignore it, but if its cut or pulled animals will eat it then and thats when its dangerous to them

GY A1

does that first white one look like elderflower

FishFacePhil wrote: »

I've started learning about the weeds that grow in Ireland, because plenty of them are superfoods (i.e. nettles, yarrow, hawthorn and bilberry) so knowing how to identify the various weeds you see in Ireland is an excellent way to obtain free food. On top of that, food picked wild is generally much more nutrient rich than food that is imported and sits on the shelves of supermarkets for days before you buy them.

I'm starting with distinctive looking weeds with flowers that I see in fields. Today when I was walking through a field, I saw loads of weeds with these kinda flowers:

At first I thought it might be yarrow, but then I noticed that the leaves look like large parsley leaves. I read that a common weed in Ireland is fools parsley (Aethusa cynapium). Whats confusing me is some sites seem to use the term fools parsley to refer to poison hemlock (Conium macalatum). To add to my confusion, they look nearly identical:


Are these two different plants? Are they both commonly found in Ireland? I'm guessing they are both toxic, but I hear poison hemlock is exceptionally dangerous. Would fools parsley be as toxic as poison hemlock.


SIDE QUESTION: I spotted a few weeds that had similar looking flowers but they were yellow instead of white. It reminded me of a story someone told me about these yellow weeds in a field, he said when horses eat them they get jaundice due to a toxin in the plant. Anyone know what these yellow flowered plants I'm referring to are?