Keep some samples of plants consumed. In case of adverse reaction seek medical attention immediately, taking along the samples.

The information is given in good faith, but is by no means complete, and is of known hazards only. Absence of information on toxicity or danger is not indicative of a plant's safety. Consumption is at the reader's own risk and discretion.

Some guidance may reduce the risk of starvation in a survival situation, but it is best to err on the safe side when other food is available.

Take care identifying plants for …..

Do not consume wild plants during ….

Only feed to minors if ….

Never follow …..

Some individuals may …..

Avoid touching …..

Avoid plants which ……

Only pick ……

Eat a small amount of ……

Avoid eating ……

Yellow-flowered plants: leaves may give stomach upsets if eaten in quantity.

Red: ……

Black, enlarged seeds on grasses: ……

Berries surrounded by 5 sepals: ……

Bulbs of some plants are toxic. ……

Pungent, unpleasant smell: …..

Smell of almonds: may contain hydrogen cyanide.

Smell of fresh mown hay: …..

Tastes extremely bitter: may contain …..

Tastes extremely acrid: …..

Milky sap: …..

A stinging sensation in the mouth: if it is not a Stinging Nettle this indicates ……

Mouldy nuts: ……

Characteristics and Caution

Plant families often share similar characteristics and may contain the same or related substances, sometimes in different parts of the plant. They may also have other harmful characteristics like thorns or cause irritation on contact. When trying to judge the edibility of a plant which is not listed as edible it is best to assume common traits with close family members, especially genus. Individual species of families with no details given may still be harmful. See plant list for details on individual species.

This information should also be used to judge the quantity in which a plant may be consumed or what precautions may need to be taken if there is a likelihood that the plant contains a potentially harmful substance.

• Arum (Araceae): most or all …..
• Balsam (Balsaminacea): some …..
• Barberrry (Berberidaceae): the bark (especially of the root) of at least ….
• Bedstraw (Rubiaceae): contact with ….
• Beech (Fagaceae): some species contain …..
• Bellflower (Campanulaceae): no information on hazards
• Bindweed (Convolvulaceae): some or all are …..
• Birch (Betulaceae): …..
• Bogbean (Menyanthaceae): at least one species can cause …..
• Bog Myrtle (Myriaceae): Bog Myrtle may cause ……
• Borage (Boraginaceae): some or all contain …..
• Bur-reed (Sparganiaceae): …..
• Buttercup (Ranunculaceae): all are …..
• Cabbage (Brassicaceae): generally safe, though avoid ….. Often spicy flavour. May depress …. unless …..
  
  
  Known hazards of individual species or genera:
  
  
  • Charlock may be …..
  • Hoary Cress may be ….
  • Horseradish can cause….
  • Hedge Mustard may be toxic if …..
  • The seeds of …. in sensitive people.
  • The oil of Rape seed is toxic unless ….
  • Wintercress may be toxic for ….
• Carrot (Apiaceae): there are a number of deadly poisonous plants in this family, with great superficial resemblance to edible plants. It is therefore advisable to …..
  
  ….. contains oxalic acid and may be narcotic if consumed in quantity.
• Cashew (Anacardiaceae): some ….
• Cranesbill (Geraniaceae): …..
• Crowberry (Empetraceae): leaves of some or …..
• Currant (Grossulariaceae): The leaves of Gooseberries and Red Currant contain or produce …..
• Cypress (Cupressaceae): Juniper may be toxic to …. if …..
• Daisy (Asteraceae): most are safe, but there are some toxic members……
  
  
  Known hazards of individual species or genera:
  
  
  • Members of the genus …… contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids.
  • Most …..
  • Burdock has ….
  • Chamomile, Pineapple Mayweed and Corn Marigold contain …..
  • Stinking Chamomile can cause …..
  • Chicory may cause damage to …..
  • The latex of Dandelion stems is …..
  • The sap of ….. may be toxic and narcotic if consumed in quantity. Contains ….
  • Mugwort contains …. Contact with the plant may cause ….
  • Milk Thistle may concentrate …..
  • Prolonged consumption of …. may cause …..
• Dock (Polygonaceae): most or all contain ….
• Dogwood (Cornaceae): leaves and …. of Dogwood are ….
• Duckweed (Lemnaceae): no information on hazards
• Ferns and Bracken: some or most may contain …..
• Figwort (Scrophulariaceae): at least one member is toxic (…..). Others may be mildly toxic, especially to the …..
• Flowering Rush (Butomaceae): …..
• Fumitory (Fumariaceae): some or all may contain ….. which is non-toxic and has a ...-like taste.
• Gentian (Gentinaceae): ….
• Goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae): may contain …., and can …..
• Grass (Graminae): some grasses contain …..
• Hazel (Corylaceae): no information on hazards
• Heath (Ericaceae): some species have …..
• Hemp (Cannabaceae): some are narcotic. Hop has … and contains…..
• Honeysuckle (Caprifoliaceae): some or all are toxic, at least in …. Some contain ….
• Horse Chestnut (Hippocastanaceae): some or all contain …..
• Horsetail (Equisetaceae): some or all may …. May contain …. May contain …., a potent … and …. sedative.
• Iris (Iridaceae): …. are lethal.
• Lily (Liliaceae): some are toxic. Often ….. Some contain …. Contact with …. may cause …. Onions …..
• Lime (Tiliaceae): …. of Lime may be narcotic.
• Loosestrife (Lythraceae): ….
• Mallow (Malvaceae): most are safe, some may accumulate ….. Some are rare.
• Maple (Aceraceae): ….
• Mesembryanthemum (Aizoaceae): …..
• Mignonette (Resedaceae): ….
• Mint (Lamiaceae): some are toxic. … look very similar ….. The … of many is toxic and can cause …… B… has caused fatalities. … contain ….
• Mosses: …..
  
  
• Mulberry (Moraceae): no information on hazards
• Nettle (Urticaceae): can accumulate …. and other … in the …. Only pick …..
• Nightshade (Solanaceae): most or all are toxic, …., some in …., …. lethal.
• Oleaster (Eleagnaceae): ….
• Olive (Oleaceae): …. may cause …. in sensitive individuals.
• Orchid (Orchidaceae): safety for humans not known, but there is a danger to Orchids from harvesting, as many are rare. Many are protected by law.
• Pea (Leguminosae): some are toxic, especially the ….. Some or all contain …..
  
  
  Known hazards of individual species or genera:
  
  
  • The seeds of members of the …. genus are toxic in quantity. Toxins may be removed by …..
  • White Clover and Bird's-foot Trefoil produce …. when ……
  • Gorse has dense thorns.
  • Melilot and Tall Melilot contain ….
• Pine (Pinaceae): bark, and possibly …. may contain …..
• Pink (Caryophyllaceae): some or all contain ….
• Plantain (Plantaginaceae): …..
• Poppy (Papaveraceae): most or all are toxic; probably all …. are safe.
• Primrose (Primulaceae): the …. of …. may cause alergic reactions. Some species, like … and … are toxic. …. may also cause …..
• Purslane (Portulacaceae): …..
• Reed-mace (Typhaceae): no known hazards, but may be ….
• Rose (Rosaceae): very large and diverse family. Many have ….. Most or all members of the genus ….. produce …., mainly in the …. and ….. Meadowsweet contains …..
• Saxifrage (Saxifragaceae): ….
• Sea Lavender (Plumbaginaceae): no information on hazards
• Sedge (Cyperaceae): ….
• Spurge (Euphorbiaceae): …. toxic. Stems usually contain ….
• St. John's Wort (Clusiaceae): some or all may cause …. in sensitive individuals.
• Stonecrop (Crassulaceae):
  
  
  Known hazards of individual species or genera:
  
  
  • …. may be mildly toxic if eaten in quantity.
  • Contact with sap of Biting Stonecrop may cause …. Can cause …. if eaten in quantity. May be ....
  • Reflexed Stonecrop can cause …
• Teasel (Dipsacaceae): ….
• Valerian (Valerianacea): some or all are mildly …. and should not be consumed for more than …. at a time.
• Violet (Violaceae): ….
• Walnut (Juglandaceae): Cracked seeds are susceptible to …. They should be ….
• Water-lily (Nymphaeceae): … may be ….. Some are rare and protected by law.
• Water-plantain (Alismataceae): has toxic ….
• Willowherb (Onagraceae): some may be … or …. in part.
• Wintergreen (Pyrolaceae): …..
• Wood-sorrel (Oxalidaceae): most or all contain some …. Wood-sorrel also contains traces of ….
• Yam (Dioscoreaceae): some or all are toxic. They contain ……

Calcium oxalate crystals cause ……

Coumarin is a moderate …. and …. toxin. It is present in ……

Furanocoumarin is produced by plants as ….

Hydrogen cyanide, also known as …..

Nitrates are linked with ……

Oxalic acid can bind up other minerals, especially calcium. May aggravate rheumatic conditions, kidney stones, hyper acidity or osteoporosis. May be reduced by cooking, possibly also if eaten with a source of salts derived from methyl salicylate (salicylic acid etc.) from sources such as dried Meadowsweet. May also be bound by calcium eaten at the same time to form large molecules which can not be absorbed but will be excreted. Eat in moderation.

Protoanemonin is a toxin produced by ……

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids can cause liver damage and cancer and are cumulative. Best avoided.

Saponins may be beneficial in small doses, but are toxic in large. Toxicity varies amongst the different types of saponins. May be removed by …..

Tannin binds with protein, can interfere with …. and can cause ….. It is ….. It may be reduced or removed by ……

Thiaminase is …. which destroys …. It is safe in small quantities, and when the diet contains plenty of ….. It is destroyed by …..

Thujone is toxic to …. cells and may cause ….

Trypsin inhibitors interfere with …. and are reduced or destroyed by ……