The Survival Guide to Leaf Identification
The plant world is huge, and it has much to offer the human species in terms of resources. For everyone, young or old, the amazing plant world is a wonderful location to spend time with. But, do you have any knowledge of the flora of the area?
Almost anything may be found in nature if you know where to look and how to seek for it. Identifying the trees and plants may assist you in surviving almost any hardship, provided that you do not consume anything that is not intended for consumption.
The orientation of the leaves varies. Identifying plants may be critical to one’s life in certain situations. When we become lost in the woods, plants may be quite valuable to us in a variety of ways. They offer you with food and medication while you are in a survival crisis, as well as weaponry.
Consider the many varieties of leaves and plants, as well as their properties.
Plants that can be eaten
Leafy veggies and plants are not very popular among many people. It is true, however, that when we are alone in the woods with no food or water, it is the green plants and vegetables that come to our rescue. Because the vast majority of edible plants are edible, it might be difficult to distinguish between them. Nonetheless, don’t be deceived by leaves that seem to be ordinary delicacies. When it comes to putting plants in meals, you have to be cautious and selective since one wrong bite might result in unintentional poisoning.
Some of the edible plants include the following:
Violets in the color of the sky
Blue violets are plants that may be found in shaded locations. These heart-shaped leaves are the most delicious. The whole plant is edible, including the roots and leaves.
Burdock
The roots of burdock are edible and may be either raw or cooked. The burdock plant’s roots will be about the size of a carrot. Digging around the plant with your hands, a rock, or a digging stick are all options.
Wild Onion
Always double-check the identify of a plant by smelling it to be sure it is the one you want. Wild onions, which grow abundantly in woods, are a fantastic source of food and may be harvested in large quantities.
Pine needles and inner bark of the pine tree
Pine needles are a good source of Vitamin C. Upon swallowing, they may be chewed on and then spit out immediately after. The barks have a little bitter flavor, but they cook up quickly and easily into a meal.
Medicinal Plants are those that have medicinal properties.
The proper use of plants might bring comfort and perhaps save your life. When utilizing plants for medical purposes, it is essential to ensure that the plants are correctly identified for food safety reasons.
Look at some of the medicinal leaves and plants for a minute.
Cannabis
Cannabis is available in a variety of forms, and research into its health benefits is ongoing. As a result of the legalization of cannabis in a number of states, it is currently extensively utilized for medicinal purposes.
If you reside in a state where it is legal to cultivate cannabis for personal use, you may now produce cannabis plants using auto-flowering feminized seeds with relative ease. Cannabis has palmately or digitately compound leaves with serrate leaflets, and it grows in the wild.
As the growth circumstances and variety dictate, the number of leaflets per leaf eventually grows to around thirteen (typically seven or nine). If you’re wondering where to acquire cannabis seeds in 2021, go no further.
The majority of cannabis seed banks also offer an internet store, which means you may get your cannabis seeds directly from the source.
Plantains Plantains are wide edible leaves, similar to spinach, that may be used to thicken soups by incorporating their seeds into the broth. Plantains, in addition to being tasty, are known to have therapeutic benefits. If you are stung or bitten by a bee or ant, you may chew up the leaf and put it to the bite to relieve the pain.
Gingko Gingko
is one of the oldest homeopathic plants, as well as one of the oldest tree species on the planet.
The leaves of Ginkgo are distinct, flat, and irregularly notched, with deep grooves in the centre, and they have a fan-shaped appearance. Traditionally, the leaves have been utilized to make capsules, pills, and extracts, which are all popular in Chinese medicine. One of the most well-known advantages of the ginkgo plant is its ability to improve the health of the brain.
Echinacea
Echinacea is a beautiful coneflower that thrives in damp to dry grasslands and open-wooded places in North America’s temperate climate. It has a thin, tapering leaf form with a variety of hues, and it has been used as a medicine for hundreds of years.
It is often used to treat the common cold, the flu, infections, and the healing of wounds, among other conditions.
Plants That Are Poisonous
Plants may also be lethal!
They may poison you by touch, ingestion, absorption, or inhalation. This implies that plants may induce severe skin irritations at touch, internal poisoning when swallowed, and respiratory system poisoning via skin absorption or inhalation. Look at some of the deadly leaves and plants for a moment.
Poison Hemlock is a kind of plant that is poisonous.
This plant may be found mostly in damp swamps or moist wetlands, as well as wet meadows, ditches, and stream banks.
A smooth, hollow stem (purple or red-striped or mottled) with little white blooms may reach up to 2.5 meters in height and has a smooth, hollow stem (purple or red-striped or mottled) with small white flowers. Be careful and avoid conflating it with wild carrot, since even a tiny quantity may be fatal.
Poison Ivy and Poison Oak are two poisonous plants.
Despite the fact that poison ivy and poison oak may be found in practically every ecosystem in Northern America, they can cause severe contact dermatitis in certain people. Both have three smooth or serrated leaflets on alternating compound leaves. Poison ivy is mostly a vine that grows across the ground or climbs via its red feeder roots, while poison oak is more of a bush-like plant.
Stinging Nettle is a plant that stings when touched.
Stinging Nettle leaves are coarsely serrated and tapered at the ends, while the undersides of the leaves and stems are covered with hair. These heart-shaped hairy plants are especially well-known for their vividly colored, yellow or pink blooms, which are produced in clusters.
When you contact them, use gloves since even a little touch on their hair may cause a toxic stinging chemical to be released.
There are three types of castor beans: castor bean pods, castor oil plant, and Palma Christi.
Castor bean, castor-oil plant, and palma christi are all plants that grow in tropical and temperate climates but are toxic to consume.
The seeds are not to be confused with a bean-like snack. In its natural state, the castor bean is a semi-woody plant with big, alternating, star-like leaves that grows into a tree with tiny, inconspicuous blooms and fruits that grow in clusters at the summit of the tree.
Mushrooms found in the wild
Mushrooms could be one of your favorite foods. Wild mushrooms, on the other hand, may be the source of your story’s terrible conclusion. In a survival emergency, mushrooms should never be consumed!
What is the best way to tell the difference between edible and non-edible plants?
Various leaf forms and margins may be found, including ellipsoidal, lance-shaped, egg-shaped, wedge-shaped, triangular, oblong, and long-pointed, as well as top-shaped leaves.
Leaf Arrangements: The most common leaf arrangements are complex, simple, opposite, alternating, and basal rosette.
Root Structures: The tuber, taproot, bulb, clove, corm, crown, and rhizome are the root structures of plants.
Eligibility Across the Board (Test)
It is important to correctly identify plants before ingesting them. It is essential to establish their edibility as well as their toxic potential. When in doubt, use the Universal Edibility Test to identify which plants may be consumed in moderation and which ones should be avoided.
Conclusion
It is only through accurate identification of plants – whether they are cultivated or wild – that we can ensure their safe usage in survival circumstances. Always be on the lookout for familiar foods and plants that you are acquainted with and are safe to consume in order to prevent unintentional poisoning.
Furthermore, wherever feasible, live off-the-grid.