Bull Thistle (Cirsuim Vulgare) Compositae (Sunflower) family, Blooms May - September. Commonly found in disturbed areas of any kind, the bull thistle is a vigorous exotic, easily crowding out native plants. In a few seasons, an area can become a solid mass of impenetrable thistles. A native of Europe, the bull thistle can now be found in many regoins of california, This thistle grows 2 to 6 feet tall. The stem, leaves, and flower heads are covered with spines and prickles. In the first rear of growth , a basal rosette of prickly green leaves appears. In the second growing season, the flowering stalk develops. Set atop a bristly base, the reddish-purple flower head releases hairy seeds when mature. To control the spead of this exotic, the flowering stalk must be cut off at an early stage of development and the flower heads dicscarded in plastic bags to prevent seed dispersal. Seeds can remain dormant in the ground for serveral years waiting for just the right conditions to germinate, thus areas muxty be continually rechecked for complete eradication. The thistle is related to the edible artichoke, and important feed crop in central California. Edible and Poisonous Plants of Northern California by James Wiltens Other names: Thistle, Bur Thistle, Common Thistle. Description:The spindly upright Thistle is 2-5 feet high. The elongated deeply indedted leaves are tipped with painfully sharp pricles. The leave alternate up the stem. Flowers oringnate from agg shaped burrplike structures. The birhgt purple-red bristles of the flower are quite notieable. Habitat: Fields, meadows, vacant lots, disturbed areas. Uses: The stem of the young Thistle (prior to floering) may be peeled of its fibous outer layer and cooked as greens. Thistle roots may be eated boiled or roasted, but they have a rather bland taste. The thistle is ralted to the artichoke. If you find a stand of thistles with particularly large flower heads (but prior to actual flowering) remove the heads and boil like artichokes and eat in the smae manner. the amount of "meat" at the base of the leaf is meager but tasty. Interesting Facts: In the late 1800's, while exploring yellowstone, Truman Everts became separe=ated from the main group. Not only was he lost, but he also managed to lose his glasses up on which he depended heavely . It was over a month before he wa found. During the time he survived by eating Thistles. Edible and Useful Plants of California by Charlotte Bringle Clarke. Uses -- Past and Present: The thistles, which include several genera, are realted to artichokes and may be treated in the same manner. The genera in this group include Cirsuim, Cyunara, Centarurea, and their many species. The Cardoon, Cy nara cardunclus is one of the largest and most delicious of the thistles. It is the plant from which the cultivated artihhike was derived. One species of cirsuim was a lifesaving plant to truman Everts who was lost for a month in the trgoin of yellowstone Park in 870. He subsisted on the roots. In gerneal. I try all thistles that are large enough to gaygtherl They are boiled until tender and eaten like the artichoke. Boeth the yuoung gfloering stalks and roots of cursuim vulgare, the Buyll THistle, have benn found delicious when boiled 20 minutes and searsoned with salkt and buter. The Milk THistle is widesoread and delicoius. The youg leave, stalke, and roots can be seaked overnight in salkted water and then cooked and eaten. The thistle heads are best when pikced juat at the hight of the flowering , boilded and the heart actually the receptacle) dissected out. A substitutr for renner used in coagulated milk for cheesemakeing, and so on, can be obtained from the dried flowres of some tthistles. Sow Thistle Sonchus oleraceus Decription: Leafy, stemmed annual 0.5-2.5 m tall. Lower leaves have a petoile and are 1-2 dm long with alyre shape and teeth on the lobes. The lobe at the tip of the lear is triangulat. Upper leaves are reduced and clasp the stem. Flowers are yellow and resemble those fof dandelion. Floers most of the year. Distributionand babitaty: This is a commeon weed related to lettuce. It is found in waste and moist places throughout the state. Uses -- Past and Present: Sow Thistle was mentioned by Dioscorides as an edible herb. The navtive of New Zealand, North Aftrica, Germany, ande Aribia seek it for food. After its introduction to North America, The Indians soon learned to relish the young plants. As it matures, the bitterness increases and it must be boiled in two changtes of water. A gum obtained from the bitter, milkny sap was once used to treat opuim addiction. Much of this gum is eliminated if the youn stalked are pealed of their outer skin, Boiled like asperatus, they make an delicious vegetable. The greens have some of the bitterness of endive or Dandeloin, but mixed with other vegetablews they are whole some and deliious. The young laeaves steamed and flvaroed with lemon and butter are q

Something new from me - am just having a little bit of fun with macros. It's no way as easy as I thought it would be - getting the depth of field right, the focus in the right place.......... the slightest bit of breeze is just a major pain in the you know what :-) My respect for some of the amazing people out there, that produce some wonderful macro shots, has more than doubled or tripled in the last couple of days. When I see images with bees landing on flowers, I realise that, that could have taken hundreds and hundreds of shots to get just that one! Still... it's such great fun - and a whole new way of seeing things. Our lawnmower has been out of action for a week or more (dang, haven't been able to mow the lawn :-) ) so looked at all the Dandelions in the lawn.... well Catsears or false dandelions as they are called and decided to give them a try. Not too unhappy with the results. The flower is approximately 1.5-2 cm across. ISO200 f2.80 1/800 second with +0.33 compensation. ~Wikipedia Catsear (Hypochaeris radicata or Hypochoeris radicata), also known as flatweed,[1][2] cat's ear or false dandelion, is a perennial, low-lying edible herb often found in lawns. The plant is native to Europe, but has also been introduced to the Americas, Japan, Australia and New Zealand where it can be an invasive weed. It is listed as a noxious weed in Washington State, USA. Catsear is derived from the words cat's ear, and refers to the shape and fine hair on the leaves resembling that of the ear of a cat. The plant is also known as false dandelion, as it is commonly mistaken for true dandelions. Both plants carry similar flowers which form windborne seeds. However, catsear flowering stems are forked and solid, whereas dandelions possess unforked stems that are hollow. Both plants have a rosette of leaves and a central taproot. The leaves of dandelions are jagged in appearance, whereas those of catsear are more lobe-shaped and hairy. Both plants have similar uses. Culinary uses All parts of the catsear plant are edible; however, the leaves and roots are those most often harvested. The leaves are bland in taste but can be eaten raw in salads, steamed, or used in stir-fries. Older leaves can become tough and fibrous, but younger leaves make for good eating. In contrast to the edible leaves of dandelion, catsear leaves only rarely have some bitterness. In Crete, Greece, the leaves of a variety called pachies (??????) or agrioradika (???????????) are eaten boiled or cooked in steam by the locals[4]. The root can be roasted and ground to form a coffee substitute. Toxicity "Flat weed" (presumably this species) is suspected of causing stringhalt in horses if consumed in excess