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Plant (Crop) ID Please
On the train from Manchester to London last week I saw fields and
fields of the same crop. Plants with tall (dullish) green stems (saw someone in one of the fields and they were almost up to his shoulders), fairly big leaves and a cluster of bright yellow flowers right on the top. I was someplace South of Stoke when I saw them but in some places these things went on as far as I could see into the distance. They were planted in rows and (it seems to me) that they are therefore cultivated. Pretty things to see which brightens up an otherwise extremely boring journey. Could anyone tell me what they are please? TIA Andy. |
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In message , Sacha
writes On 9/5/05 14:18, in article . com, " wrote: On the train from Manchester to London last week I saw fields and fields of the same crop. Plants with tall (dullish) green stems (saw someone in one of the fields and they were almost up to his shoulders), fairly big leaves and a cluster of bright yellow flowers right on the top. I was someplace South of Stoke when I saw them but in some places these things went on as far as I could see into the distance. They were planted in rows and (it seems to me) that they are therefore cultivated. Pretty things to see which brightens up an otherwise extremely boring journey. Could anyone tell me what they are please? Rapeseed oil - gorgeous colour, isn't it? I think it's known as canola oil in USA. You should see it planted next to a field of linseed - it almost hurts your eyes! I think the scent is rather nice as well although a lot of people don't like it and an awful lot of people are allergic to the pollen. My grandson on a visit to West Yorkshire said there must no proper farmers because there was no yellow ground. Its a good job the farmers there couldn't hear him :-)) -- Sue Begg Remove my clothes to reply Do not mess in the affairs of dragons - for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup! |
Sacha wrote:
Rapeseed oil - gorgeous colour, isn't it? I think it's known as canola oil in USA. You should see it planted next to a field of linseed - it almost hurts your eyes! Oilseed rape. Smells lovely, but not quite so nice as field beans. When it's flowering, that is. When it's ripening it's quite another matter. |
Chris Bacon wrote:
Sacha wrote: Rapeseed oil - gorgeous colour, isn't it? I think it's known as canola oil in USA. You should see it planted next to a field of linseed - it almost hurts your eyes! Oilseed rape. Smells lovely, but not quite so nice as field beans. When it's flowering, that is. When it's ripening it's quite another matter. The smell is obviously in the nose of the beholder. I reckon oilseed rape smells horrible - and it is hell to walk through when a path crosses a field of the stuff. I particularly don't like the little pollen beetles it attracts that then invade our gardens when it finishes flowering. The flowers are a pretty luminous shade of lemon yellow and tend to grow everywhere that seed is moved past including motorway verges. A field full in full sun hurts the eyes. YMMV Regards, Martin Brown |
In article , Martin Brown
writes The smell is obviously in the nose of the beholder. I reckon oilseed rape smells horrible Agreed. Although I'm not sure that is quite vociferous enough. And, like dogs, it smells even worse when wet. -- regards andyw |
Martin Brown wrote:
Chris Bacon wrote: Sacha wrote: Rapeseed oil - gorgeous colour, isn't it? I think it's known as canola oil in USA. You should see it planted next to a field of linseed - it almost hurts your eyes! Oilseed rape. Smells lovely, but not quite so nice as field beans. When it's flowering, that is. When it's ripening it's quite another matter. The smell is obviously in the nose of the beholder. I reckon oilseed rape smells horrible - and it is hell to walk through when a path crosses a field of the stuff. I particularly don't like the little pollen beetles it attracts that then invade our gardens when it finishes flowering. The flowers are a pretty luminous shade of lemon yellow and tend to grow everywhere that seed is moved past including motorway verges. A field full in full sun hurts the eyes. YMMV Strangely, I seem to find some fields smell nice, while others don't. The ones that don't smell good make me sneeze. Is this a varietal thing, or just a question of the stage of development? (FWIW, I find the colour horrible in such large doses.) -- Mike. |
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Sacha wrote:
"Chris Bacon" wrote: Oilseed rape. Smells lovely, but not quite so nice as field beans. When it's flowering, that is. When it's ripening it's quite another matter. By field beans do you mean broad beans? I know some beans smell heavenly but don't know which. They look very much like broad beans, but are grown for fodder (and a high-protein source alternative to GM soya). The plants are left 'till the pods are black, which IMO gives a very unsightly crop. On a hot day, when the flowers are out, and a slight breeze in the right direction, there's a really heady smell. |
In article , Chris Bacon writes: | | By field beans do you mean broad | beans? I know some beans smell heavenly but don't know which. | | They look very much like broad beans, but are grown for fodder (and | a high-protein source alternative to GM soya). The plants are left | 'till the pods are black, which IMO gives a very unsightly crop. | On a hot day, when the flowers are out, and a slight breeze in the | right direction, there's a really heady smell. They ARE broad beans! Field beans are just a less highly bred form, and are smaller, tougher, and with more tannin in the skins. I think that field beans are essentially the beans that were a staple in Europe before Phaseolus vulgaris was imported from the Americas. So, for a true mediaeval flavour, you know what to grow :-) I don't know when they separated from "el ful", but my guess is a few millennia back. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
Nick Maclaren wrote:
I think that field beans are essentially the beans that were a staple in Europe before Phaseolus vulgaris was imported from the Americas. So, for a true mediaeval flavour, you know what to grow :-) Erm, phaseolus vulgaris? French bean, surely? Vicia faber = broad bean. I remember this as my "local" used to have three barmaids named Phaseolus Multiflorus, Phaseolus Vulgaris, and later Vicia Faber. These names were singularly appropriate, if not well-liked. |
In article , Chris Bacon writes: | Nick Maclaren wrote: | I think that field beans are essentially the beans that were | a staple in Europe before Phaseolus vulgaris was imported from | the Americas. So, for a true mediaeval flavour, you know what | to grow :-) | | Erm, phaseolus vulgaris? French bean, surely? Vicia faber = broad | bean. I remember this as my "local" used to have three barmaids | named Phaseolus Multiflorus, Phaseolus Vulgaris, and later Vicia | Faber. These names were singularly appropriate, if not well-liked. Yes, except it's faba not faber (feminine, meaning broad bean, not masculine, meaning workman). The staple bean of Europe up to the 15th century was V. faba, but it was replaced fairly rapidly by the imported P. vulgaris, which spread from the south. That is why it is called the French bean, to distinguish it from the ordinary bean. Since then, the word "bean" has moved to the more commonly eaten bean, and the older ordinary bean has acquired the epithet "broad". Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
Nick Maclaren wrote:
it's faba not faber (feminine, meaning broad bean, not masculine, meaning workman). Interesting, my old Sutton's (1960?) is wrong, then. |
On 9/5/05 17:35, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote: In article , Chris Bacon writes: | Nick Maclaren wrote: | I think that field beans are essentially the beans that were | a staple in Europe before Phaseolus vulgaris was imported from | the Americas. So, for a true mediaeval flavour, you know what | to grow :-) | | Erm, phaseolus vulgaris? French bean, surely? Vicia faber = broad | bean. I remember this as my "local" used to have three barmaids | named Phaseolus Multiflorus, Phaseolus Vulgaris, and later Vicia | Faber. These names were singularly appropriate, if not well-liked. Yes, except it's faba not faber (feminine, meaning broad bean, not masculine, meaning workman). The staple bean of Europe up to the 15th century was V. faba, but it was replaced fairly rapidly by the imported P. vulgaris, which spread from the south. That is why it is called the French bean, to distinguish it from the ordinary bean. Since then, the word "bean" has moved to the more commonly eaten bean, and the older ordinary bean has acquired the epithet "broad". Aha! Hence 'fava beans' in some countries. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove the weeds to email me) |
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