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The Ultralight
Backpacking Site |
Sheep Sorrel
Rumex acerosella
Description
These plants are seldom more than 30 centimeters
tall. They have alternate leaves, often with arrow-like bases,
very small flowers, and frequently reddish stems.
Habitat and Distribution
Look for these plants in old fields and
other disturbed areas in North America and Europe.
Edible Parts
The plants are edible raw or cooked.
CAUTION
These plants contain oxalic acid that
can be damaging if too many plants are eaten raw. Cooking seems
to destroy the chemical.
Steve's notes:
The leaves are often reddish in some areas.
Once you get to know the green-reddish look that the patches
of these plants have, you can spot them from a long distance
away.
Sheep sorrel, like wood sorrel and the
common shamrock, is delicious and thirst-quenching in small quantities.
The oxalic acid means you shouldn't eat much.
Edible
Plants | Sheep Sorrel |