On Jul 26, 10:54*pm, Mike Lyle wrote:
On Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:44:48 -0700 (PDT), NT
wrote:

Hi

I'm new here, and I hope I can ask about the identity of 4 plants I've
found in garden, which might well turn out to be quite handy to keep,
depending what they are. Basically I'm looking for food bearing
species.

First things first: don't use sites with sex ads thrown in -- not to
be trusted.

I didnt realise - can you recommend anywhere better than tinypic?


pointy red berries, which I suspect are toxic:
http://tinypic.com/r/29g2693/7

Bittersweet, or Woody Nightshade. Solanum dulcamara. Toxic.



red berries with a roughish end, about quarter inch across - they
ripen red
http://tinypic.com/r/i3e2zb/7

The haws which give hawthorn its name. Not much to eat on them, as the
seed is relatively big, and the flesh is tasteless. I don't think
they're toxic, buit I did once read a suggestion that they were
suspect.



tree with winged seed:
http://tinypic.com/r/1j9u1t/7

One of the maples, I think. I found no evidence of toxicity, but I've
never heard of their seeds being eaten.



I suspect these may be some sort of gage, they have the crease on one
side only. I dont yet know what colour they ripen to. The small trees
are covered with them, not in bunches. Theyre about 3/4 - 1" long:
http://tinypic.com/r/4htf7b/7

Sloes, I suspect -- the fruit of the blackthorn. Good for sloe gin and
a sort of ketchup my mother sometimes made. Even when fully ripe, and
nearly black, very sour and bitter: I always eat a few every year for
the fun of it, but that's just me. May be another wild or naturalized
relative of the plum, though.

Right, I can taste one when its ripe. The big question I guess is can
I be sure theyre not anything toxic? If so I can just go on taste.

It'll be a shame if theyre not edible. If so, the only edibles will be
elderberry and blackberry, and elder isnt exactly nice to eat.

Thanks everyone.


NT