by Aitrus » 06 Sep 2011, 21:11
Ok, I'm going to see if I can do this without peeking at any references. I don't know all the plants, but some I think I've got. I'm rusty, and most of my knowledge is comes learning them with a survivalist mindset (as opposed to a herbalist or medicinal mindset).
hq3 - Don't know the plant, but white umbrella-shaped flowers always give me the heebie-jeebies. Too many are deadly. The only one I trust on sight is Yarrow, but then only because of the feathery leaves.
hq8 - This looks a lot like Forget-Me-Not. Good in tea. Leaves, flowers and roots edible in salads as a survival food. Don't know the medicinal uses.
hq11 - Looks like blackberry, or possibly boysenberry. Whatever it is, it's edible. 99.9% of the world's aggregate (raspberry-looking) berry species are edible, regardless of colors. The only non-edible one is white and grows in Alaska (it's not a true aggregate, but looks like one).
hq16 - Waxy, shiny, pointy leaves usually mean bad things associated with the plant. That said, the stem, leaf and point pattern make me think of Oregon Grape. If it has blue berries available in summer and fall, then it's Oregon Grape. Berries are a little tart, with big seeds that crunch like raspberry seeds when eaten. Fruits are good dried and go well in pemmican reciepies. Makes a halfway decent jam.
hq17 - This looks like Long-Leaf Plantain. Common in many places. Leaves and roots are edible, especially when young, and makes a great base for survival salads. Leaves, if cleaned, can be used for dressings. IIRC, some American Indian tribes also used it as a mild painkiller and astringent.
Bonus: wherever you are it must be pretty wet. Lots of ferns in your pictures. Fiddleheads are delicious by the handful and in salads.
You may not be able to outrun Death, but you can sure make the Bastard work for it!
-Opening line from an Andromeda episode
If at first you don't succeed, redefine success - Unknown