I've just been digging out my compost heap to put in a cold frame. I was
most surprised to find something that looked like a smallish parsnip
about 16 cm. long but, growing out of the top, were strands of what
looked like bindweed. There were tendrils and the leaves felt rough. I
cut a piece of the root in order to smell it but it was nothing like
parsnip.

Has anyone any idea what this might be? I'll see if I can take a photo
of it.

--
David Rance writing from Le Mesnil Villement, Calvados, France

Here's a photo of this pseudo-parsnip/bindweed root:

http://rance.org.uk/chameau/unknownroot.jpg

Any information welcome!

David

--
David Rance writing from Le Mesnil Villement, Calvados, France

Here's a photo of this unknown root:

http://rance.org.uk/chameau/unknownroot.jpg

Any help in identifying it welcome!

David

--
David Rance writing from Le Mesnil Villement, Calvados, France

On 03/05/2017 10:33, David Rance wrote:
Here's a photo of this unknown root:

http://rance.org.uk/chameau/unknownroot.jpg

Any help in identifying it welcome!

David



Looks like some form of tuberous cucurbit
David @ a sunny side of Swansea Bay

On 03/05/2017 10:33, David Rance wrote:
Here's a photo of this unknown root:

http://rance.org.uk/chameau/unknownroot.jpg

Any help in identifying it welcome!

Pot some up and flower it - that should provide plenty of extra
information. Definitely looks like a climber so my guess would be some
sort of bindweed relative.


--
Regards,
Martin Brown

In message , Martin
writes
On Wed, 3 May 2017 10:33:46 +0100, David Rance
wrote:

Here's a photo of this unknown root:

http://rance.org.uk/chameau/unknownroot.jpg

Any help in identifying it welcome!

Parsnip.

But it doesn't smell like a parsnip and the leaves don't grow like a
parsnip!

David

--
David Rance writing from Le Mesnil Villement, Calvados, France

In article ,
David wrote:
On 03/05/2017 10:33, David Rance wrote:
Here's a photo of this unknown root:

http://rance.org.uk/chameau/unknownroot.jpg

Any help in identifying it welcome!

Looks like some form of tuberous cucurbit

Spot on. It's white bryony. DON'T eat it!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In message , Nick Maclaren
writes
In article ,
David wrote:
On 03/05/2017 10:33, David Rance wrote:
Here's a photo of this unknown root:

http://rance.org.uk/chameau/unknownroot.jpg

Any help in identifying it welcome!

Looks like some form of tuberous cucurbit

Spot on. It's white bryony. DON'T eat it!

Phew! Thanks, Nick!

I see that, among its many alternative names, is parsnip turnip.

Many thanks also to you others who have replied.

David

--
David Rance writing from Le Mesnil Villement, Calvados, France

In message , Martin
writes
On Wed, 3 May 2017 11:29:44 +0100, David Rance
wrote:

In message , Martin
writes
On Wed, 3 May 2017 10:33:46 +0100, David Rance
wrote:

Here's a photo of this unknown root:

http://rance.org.uk/chameau/unknownroot.jpg

Any help in identifying it welcome!

Parsnip.

But it doesn't smell like a parsnip and the leaves don't grow like a
parsnip!

You should have said :-)

I did! You failed to notice the details in the message I sent a few
minutes earlier. It took me a bit longer to post the photo on my
website.

But neither did you look at the leaves and tendrils in the photo! ;-)

David

--
David Rance writing from Le Mesnil Villement, Calvados, France

In message , Martin
writes
On Wed, 3 May 2017 15:08:22 +0100, David Rance
wrote:

In message , Martin
writes
On Wed, 3 May 2017 11:29:44 +0100, David Rance
wrote:

In message , Martin
writes
On Wed, 3 May 2017 10:33:46 +0100, David Rance

wrote:

Here's a photo of this unknown root:

http://rance.org.uk/chameau/unknownroot.jpg

Any help in identifying it welcome!

Parsnip.

But it doesn't smell like a parsnip and the leaves don't grow like a
parsnip!

You should have said :-)

I did! You failed to notice the details in the message I sent a few
minutes earlier. It took me a bit longer to post the photo on my
website.

But neither did you look at the leaves and tendrils in the photo! ;-)

I blame my wife, my expert, who has confessed to not looking at the
tendrils and
leaves. Interesting that a US website recommends it for its medicinal
properties, probably one mollecule/million litres.

I was wondering what the excuse would be. ;-)

David

--
David Rance writing from Le Mesnil Villement, Calvados, France

On 03/05/2017 16:23, Martin wrote:
I blame my wife, my expert, who has confessed to not looking at the tendrils and
leaves. Interesting that a US website recommends it for its medicinal
properties, probably one mollecule/million litres.

It's a very good cure for constipation.

We had one persistently appearing in one of our beds. I cleared out a
shrub last year, and this spring when it reappeared I was able to dig it
out.

The root was the size of a turnip.

Andy