The Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild Plants
The Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild Plants book cover

The Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild Plants

Paperback – April 1, 2003

Price
$22.00
Format
Paperback
Pages
160
Publisher
Lyons Press
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1585746613
Dimensions
5.25 x 0.25 x 9 inches
Weight
0.635 ounces

Description

From the Inside Flap In a situation where survival is at stake, plants can provide crucial food and medicine. Their safe usage requires absolutely positive identification, knowing how to prepare them for eating, and a solid awareness of any dangerous properties they might have. Familiarity with the botanical structures of plants and information on where they grow will make them much easier to locate and identify.The Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild Plants describes the physical characteristics, habitat and distribution, and edible parts of wild plants. With color photography throughout, this guide facilitates the identification of these plants.Originally intended for Army use, this book serves as a survival aid for civilians as well. Anyone interested in the outdoors, botany, or even in unusual sources of nutrition will find this an indispensable resource. From the Back Cover In a situation where survival is at stake, plants can provide crucial food and medicine. Their safe usage requires absolutely positive identification, knowing how to prepare them for eating, and a solid awareness of any dangerous properties they might have. Familiarity with the botanical structures of plants and information on where they grow will make them much easier to locate and identify.The Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild Plants describes the physical characteristics, habitat and distribution, and edible parts of wild plants. With color photography throughout, this guide facilitates the identification of these plants.Originally intended for Army use, this book serves as a survival aid for civilians as well. Anyone interested in the outdoors, botany, or even in unusual sources of nutrition will find this an indispensable resource.

Features & Highlights

  • In a situation where survival is at stake, plants can provide crucial food and medicine. Their safe usage requires absolutely positive identification, knowing how to prepare them for eating, and a solid awareness of any dangerous properties they might have. Familiarity with the botanical structures of plants and information on where they grow will make them easier to locate and identify. THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO WILD EDIBLE PLANTS describes the physical characteristics, habitat and distribution, and edible parts of wild plants. With color photography throughout, this guide facilitates the identification of these plants. Originally intended for Army use, this book serves as a survival aid for civilians as well. Anyone interested in the outdoors, botany, or even in unusual sources of nutrition will find this an indispensable resource.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(76)
★★★★
25%
(64)
★★★
15%
(38)
★★
7%
(18)
23%
(58)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Half good

While the book informs us about edible plants, it warns that there are similar plants that are poisonous -- and doesn't give any description for them! I'd have to be really, really hungry before I would risk using this book.
79 people found this helpful
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Informative little book

Good little book that covers quite a lot. Gives good information on those plants in the wild that can be used for food. Along with this it gives excellent clear color close up pictures of the plants with a description of their botanical structures, habitats and distribution, edible parts and other uses such as making baskets, rope, medicines, etc. Also gives good photo descriptions of the most dangerous and poisonous plants and how to identify and recognize them.
59 people found this helpful
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I do not think this book should get a single star, it is badly written.

On page 3 figure 1-2 "Leaf Shapes", show all the plant leaf shapes, eight
different shapes you will need to learn in order to help choose the right plant
to eat or not to eat. But, after your are into the book many pages the author
starts referring to an "arrow shape" which in not one of the "Leaf Shapes" on
page 3. All together there are about five locations in the book where "arrow
shape" is use to discrib the shape of various plants.
On page 116 is a picture of what the author is describing as a yam and pictures
of the yam leaves. This is not a yam that I have eaten, nor dose it look like
any that I have seen and not eaten. So I did a search on Google Images(and found the one on page 116) and there are many many different yams, not just one as shown on page 116.
I can not believe that the Department Of The Army purchased and used this book
without checking it out, but maybe they did!
I do not think this book should get a single star, it is badly written.
27 people found this helpful
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Meh

Nice pictures but was lacking info. Descriptions of locations and habitats were vague. Mostly tropical plants, which helps me very little being that I live in the Rocky Mountains.
18 people found this helpful
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Not worth it...

This product was not very helpful. It doesn't cover enough practical plants and it wasn't that descriptive. I wished the pictures were a little better. It was hard to tell what some of them were. I sent this one back because it just didn't encompass as many plants from North America as I would have liked. I figured since it was done by the US Army it would at least be thorough but guess not. So as my final thought I would say it is not worth it if you are using it for overall survival purposes. It is great to flip through once.
14 people found this helpful
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Don't be fooled!

This book is absolutely worthless. For excellent examples of great books on wild edibles try either of Sam Thayers; - Natures Garden and Edible Wild Plants
11 people found this helpful
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EAT WHAT THE ANIMALS EAT

I ran across this little guide looking specifically for edible plants in Arkansas, which I did not find. I chose it for several reasons: 1) Department of the Army, 2) good color pictures, 3) additional information, i.e. plant identification, edibility test and the 4) Poisonous plant section. I figure if it is good enough for the military, its good for me.

RECOMMEND to compliment a local, area or regional guide.
5 people found this helpful
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i didn't eat any corn!

ok here goes i liked this book has lots of colorful pictures which i believe to be imperative when it comes to distinguishing edible from nonedible plants. but it does not the amount of native north american types that i had hoped for. i also liked the list of poisonous plants..which my neighbors dog will love jk jk jk i love dogs
4 people found this helpful
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I Love This Book!

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book when I ordered it, but I took a chance and it turned out to be one of the most interesting books I have. Anytime someone opens it up, it quickly becomes the main conversation piece. I'm sure it would be quite useful in a crisis situation too.

It has full color photos, short concise descriptions, warnings, preparations and usages about each plant. It has a great variety of plants commonly found in the USA. Many of them I've recognized myself here in West Virginia. Although I'd prefer to have something much more specific to my area, I think this book is a must have for the price, content and interest alone. It ain't no plant Bible or anything, but it definitely had more information than any of us knew about. Even some of the ol' timers!
3 people found this helpful
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Not good for back yard

This book lists plants from all of the area. Most of them do not grow in my backyard. I never use this book.
3 people found this helpful