vrijdag 11 februari 2011

The Middle Kingdom of Weeds around my corner [Updated Twice]

The middle kingdom of weeds is a kingdom in the psychogeographonomic classification of environments, not in the regal sense of authority. These weeds are the citizens of the in-between, comrades of the cryptoforester. I went out to take these pictures two days ago, when the sun was lovely and the ground dry but somehow I managed to delete them from the camera without saving them to the computer first. This morning it had been drizzling all night and the pictures are the better for it: the leafs are now lush restaurant-salad green. 


When going over them I noticed that all grasses are missing, are they too middle-class? What a strange preconception. Must learn from that. 


To purpose of this expedition is to find out what is there & to learn the names what is now a void. 


I don't count many species. The first time I went out I found one stem of nettles but missed it this time. I also thought I found one kind of plant quite often on one side of the street that was completely missing on the other but the pictures do not corroborate this. Robert Walser's micro story is worth more than all the books of Deleuze put together. But is that really saying much?

Several times I have been looking to purchase a guide but they tend to be 
- expensive (and I rather buy another book of Amazonian anthropology) 
- too limited or too complicated
- lacking the information that I am really keen on: edibility and plant histories.

There is Wikipedia but that is not really helpful...
.. So I confess my innocence and my cluelessness about determination but with the help of you, the reader (thank you!), many of these civilians of the lumpen plantariat are now identified. The job would have been much when these plants will be in bloom.  

First I thought this plant, the most common in my street, was Dock leaf or Ridderzuringthen I thought it maybe was Sorrel or Veldzuring. But Readers Ed and Schildpad suggested Hollyhock or Stokroos.


Taraxacum officinale or Common Dandelion or Paardenbloem
This one might or might not be different from the above, and this might, as reader Petr suggests, then be Sheperd's purse or Herderstasje

A little cryptogarden growing on a heap of soil, notice the snowdrops but what is the dominating plant called? Reader Phil comes up with the answer: Ranculus repens or Creeping buttercup or Kruipende boterbloem. Thank you!

Despicable and fatty, but how do a gardeners call it. Reader Petr suggests Common Whitlow Grass or Vroegeling
Common plant, hard to make pictures of because they are very small, but what are they called? Four readers suggest Common chickweed or Vogelmuur
Lichen are just so photogenic.

Dandelion or Shepard's purse?? Reader Becky suggests Dandelion, 

Rare in my street, no idea what it is.

Dog shit unites us all.

Reader Becky suggests: Sheep sorel or Schapenzuring


Reader Becky sguggests Prickly lettuce or Kompassla

The middle kingdom of the middle kingdom.

Reader Ed suggests Hairy Bittercress or Kleine veldkers for this.


Galanthus nivalis or Snowdrop or Sneeuwklokje

9 opmerkingen:

  1. First photo isn't dockweed. That has smooth shiny leaves (see )

    The "little cryptogarden growing on a heap of soil" is creeping buttercup

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  2. "Some kind of clover" looks like chickweed

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  3. Yes, I think it's chickweed. Edible and makes a nice addition to a salad mix.

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  4. I'm pretty sure the first ones are young Hollyhock. Or to well Stokroos.

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  5. Nice piece!
    I agree (probably) with the chickweed and that the first is (definitely) not Sorrel. Hollyhock does seem likely!

    I think the plant in the 3rd&4th from last pictures is some sort of cress. It looks a lot like Hairy Bittecress which is very common round here and pretty tasty - try grinding some leaves between your fingers and see if it smells of cress. It's one of my favorite plants actually. Something about its intricate structure combined with the hard places it grows in?

    Regarding books: I'd say go for a couple of cheaper ones that you can cross-check between rather than holding out for some ultimate reference.

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  6. The sixth from the bottom could be Chickweed (Vogelmuur, Stellaria Media). It is edible but has almost no taste.

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  7. The unidentified one, let me guess ... Capsella Bursa Pastoris (Herderstasje, Shepherd's-purse). But I'm not sure at all.

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  8. The "fatty" one maybe ... Spring draba (Draba Verna, Vreogeling), not sure.

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  9. This one might or might not be different = dandelion
    Rare in my street = shepherds purse (?)
    Dog shit unites us all = shepherds purse (?)

    Despicable and fatty, but how do a gardeners call it = Vroegeling, Erophila verna
    http://www.plant-identification.co.uk/skye/cruciferae/erophila-verna.htm

    Dandelion or Shepard's purse = dandelion

    Why dandelion (and shepherd's purse) are complicated is because of their "phenotypic plasticity":
    http://www.jstor.org/pss/4450475

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