Rex Tyler wrote: >great to hear that, at last someone knows what he's talking about I have >studied so called wild plants for years and eaten many of them as food >at last some light! > Rex, has your study revealed to you any characteristics of plants, wild or otherwise, which could be of use in demonstrating that the usefulness of them goes beyond the accepted or expected? For example, serrated tussock, a fibrous grass which originated in South America, is classified as a noxious weed in South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and the United States. The reason for the classification is that stock animals will only eat it as a last resort (ie, when there is nothing else edible at all) and then because of its composition (about 92% fibre + 4% protein + 4% moisture) they cannot draw enough sustenance from it to maintain life no matter how much they consume. In some animals, the fibre blocks the gut preventing anything else from going through.
But that's the 'downside' - and in this case, the downside is a killer; ST is the Number One noxious weed in Oz, kill on sight etc. (Makes little difference, the chemicals used, which include Roundup, only kill the current plant, have no effect on the seed bed, and each mature plant can dump 100,000 seeds a season which may remain dormant for up to 40+ years. BD ST peppers have been shown to do a better job.) The 'upside' is that ST is a fantastic erosion-stopper - a ground cover which will grow in the poorest soils, protect and hold them together. It also makes great mulch. Incidentally, it's inhibited by common gorse (ulex europa), another noxious weed; the two will not grow together. I have an embryo plants resource reference (currently in Excel) which I am putting together using information gleaned from all over the place.To name a few - the Ohio Plant Dictionary, http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/, http://www.geocities.com/nutriflip/Naturopathy/, books about herbs & weeds, Culpeper's original writings and so on. There are currently 500 plants in there. Some of the info's pretty sketchy. This is the type of info I'm aiming for : Common Name - Burdock; Botanical Name - Arctium Lappa; Other Names; Planet - Venus; Treatment For or Uses - Acne,Gout,Arthritis,Eczema,Blood Purifier,Itch,Uric Acid,Builds Liver Health,skin diseases, flu, tonsilitis; Description - A rapid blood purifier, a diuretic, and good for ulcers. Aids the pituitary gland, keeps waste moving out of a weak body, and expels kidney and bladder stones. Reduces calcium deposits in the joints. Banana Peel - Fixes phosphorus, potash. Bury around rose bushes for stunning blooms.. Canada Thistle - growth inhibited by alfalfa, red clover. Assist inhibition by clipping thistle growth thrice per growing season. Sunflower - this plant has been sown thickly in radiation-affected areas around Chernobyl. Believed to absorb radiation components such as strontium and break down into harmless substances. Tall fescue - grass native to Southern Canada. Absorbs petro-chemical wastes and converts them as above. I welcome any info on plants regardless of whether they are classified as 'weeds' or not. roger
