Help me ID this Edible(?) Plant

[TromboneAl]

Once I saw some oriental women collecting the tips of plants that looked like these:



I asked them about it, and they said that you fry them up with oil and they taste good.

I tried it today, and yes, they're very good. I guess you're tasting mostly the oil and butter, but they have a nice crunchy texture.

Anyone know what they are and have more details on how to cook/eat them?

 

[dumpster56]

Do you remember the seinfeld episode when george drank some potion and turned purple?? Check your color in the mirror. Every 2 hours!

 

[Martha]

I looked in my Peterson Field Guide for Edible Wild Plants and didn't see it, but it is for the eastern US. Wasn't in my "Stalking the Wild Asparagus." More clues, unless someone has already figured it out. Wet or dry area? What kind of leaves and stem? It is hard to tell from the picture. Is the white top a flower, or more solid, like a seed pod. it looks like it contains seeds. Yes?

 

[TromboneAl]

It's a grass that grows along the side of the road. We're in a coastal climate, (Zone 17) and it's pretty dry now. The tops are like seed pods, but there are no seeds that I see.

 

[Martha]

I probably can't help because you are not in the areas covered by my guides, but is the stem round or triangular? Do the "branches" radiate from one point on the top of the stem?

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I have two of these growing in my back yard near the fence.

Something else in my yard spewing out edible items. Super.

My wife had to find a co-worker who has a grocery store to get rid of the buckets of plums hanging off the 5 trees in the yard. Apples are coming in, the pluots (I think thats what they are) will be next and after that the pomegranates.

 

[Martha]

Well one of the westerners should be able to figure it out. It isn't in my field guide to grasses either, which is only for northeast canada and US.

Or you could call her: Curriculum Vitae - Kimberly J. Reever Morghan

 

[W2R]

Could it be a thistle of some kind? It's hard to tell from the photo. I know that thistles are consumed in some Asian countries.

 

[KB]

I think it's Briza Media. The first link has a good picture of it, the second one has some info.

Detailed information on Quaking Grass, Rattlesnake Grass Briza media Scroll down to the picture by amorning1.

Grass - Perennial Quaking

Actually if you do a search for Briza Media you'll find a lot of links.

 

[Martha]

Cool.

 

[REWahoo]

Detailed information on Quaking Grass, Rattlesnake Grass Briza media Scroll down to the picture by amorning1.

Interesting. Because those seed pods look exactly like the rattle on a rattlesnake, I almost replied with a "Rattlesnake Grass" post. I've never seen or heard of rattlesnake grass...but that's never stopped me from [-]lying[/-] posting.

 

[KB]

That's how I found it. I googled rattlesnake grass.... and found it. I've seen it before but didn't know the name.

My only plant ID book is for flowers, ferns, trees, shrubs and woody vines. No grasses.

 

[farmerEd]

Apparently some people in Asian countries believe that Melamine is an inexpensive source of protein...so just because someone told you you can eat them, it doesn't mean you should ...

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

"Rattlesnake grass is usually harmless to eat, however in some specific cases it may cause hernia and tooth decay."

 

[TromboneAl]

LOL. Good one!

Yes, that looks like it, thanks KB! Funny, I almost had written "looks like a rattlesnake rattle" when describing it.

I found one reference concerning eating it:

Native to Europe, the new growth of the seeds on rattlesnake grass is sweet tasting.

 

[HFWR]

Tastes like wild hickory nuts...

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

Once I saw some oriental women collecting the tips of plants that looked like these:

View attachment 2478View attachment 2479

looks like a frank l wright window. no not yours hfwr, al's. yours would be the window pane.