Plant ID

LaLaP

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2018
Messages
959
Location (City and/or State)
Portland, OR
Hi all!

Its been a while since I’ve been on the forum. Life has been busy.
Could anyone help me ID this plant? I think I used to feed it to my tortoises and then I didn’t see it around for a couple years. I’ve forgotten the name and I want to make sure that it’s the one I’m thinking of. Thanks! image.jpgimage.jpg
 

RosemaryDW

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2016
Messages
4,144
Location (City and/or State)
Newport Coast, CA
Nightshade of some kind.

You might be thinking of lambs quarters? They look quite a bit alike at first glance, especially looking down.
 

LaLaP

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2018
Messages
959
Location (City and/or State)
Portland, OR
Nightshade of some kind.

You might be thinking of lambs quarters? They look quite a bit alike at first glance, especially looking down.
Ah yes! Lamb’s quarter is exactly what I was thinking of. I knew it had an animal in the name. Too bad it’s nightshade and not lambs quarter though. Thank you!
 

TaylorTortoise

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2020
Messages
1,461
Location (City and/or State)
Abington
Is this safe to feed? Are majority of weeds safe to eat? Hard to know what is safe/not safe or toxic
 

TisMary

Active Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2021
Messages
160
Location (City and/or State)
New York
Hi all!

Its been a while since I’ve been on the forum. Life has been busy.
Could anyone help me ID this plant? I think I used to feed it to my tortoises and then I didn’t see it around for a couple years. I’ve forgotten the name and I want to make sure that it’s the one I’m thinking of. Thanks!
Hi @LaLaP. Glad you're checking into this. I consulted one of my go to books (Edible Wild Plants by John Kallas) - remembered seeing pix that look like what you show. I agree with the others here, it could be Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) (also known as Wild Spinach or Goosefoot); or it could be what he calls a "Toxic look-alike" - Hairy Nightshade (Solanum physalifolium, S. sarracoides, S. villosum). Neither is safe for tortoises according to the Tortoise Table Plant Database (IMHO, always a good place to check once you know what plant you're looking at).

If you're trying to tell if you've got Lambsquarters or a Solanum nightshade, look down at the plant from the top - the leaves of Lambsquarters will be arranged in a star-burst pattern, radiating out from the center. The whole plant will be covered with a fine crystalline, waxy-like powder, most evident and denser at the growing tips. You can spray a mist of water on the leaves - the water should roll right off.

Hairy Nightshade is, well "hairy"; Lambsquarters is not. The Nighthade's flower is distinctive:

1627490618885.png
from HAIRY NIGHTSHADE (Solanum sarrachoides)

OTOH, Lambsquarters flowers don't look anything like that! Here's the Lambsquarter's flower stalk
1627491008695.png
from Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Plant Database

and a close-up of its individual flower:

1627491160311.png
from OnlyFoods.net
 

LaLaP

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2018
Messages
959
Location (City and/or State)
Portland, OR
Hi @LaLaP. Glad you're checking into this. I consulted one of my go to books (Edible Wild Plants by John Kallas) - remembered seeing pix that look like what you show. I agree with the others here, it could be Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) (also known as Wild Spinach or Goosefoot); or it could be what he calls a "Toxic look-alike" - Hairy Nightshade (Solanum physalifolium, S. sarracoides, S. villosum). Neither is safe for tortoises according to the Tortoise Table Plant Database (IMHO, always a good place to check once you know what plant you're looking at).

If you're trying to tell if you've got Lambsquarters or a Solanum nightshade, look down at the plant from the top - the leaves of Lambsquarters will be arranged in a star-burst pattern, radiating out from the center. The whole plant will be covered with a fine crystalline, waxy-like powder, most evident and denser at the growing tips. You can spray a mist of water on the leaves - the water should roll right off.

Hairy Nightshade is, well "hairy"; Lambsquarters is not. The Nighthade's flower is distinctive:

View attachment 329948
from HAIRY NIGHTSHADE (Solanum sarrachoides)

OTOH, Lambsquarters flowers don't look anything like that! Here's the Lambsquarter's flower stalk
View attachment 329949
from Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Plant Database

and a close-up of its individual flower:

View attachment 329950
from OnlyFoods.net
Great detail on how to tell them apart! Thanks! Looks like I’ve got the nightshade.
 

New Posts

Top