Groundsel and Ragwort

It's probably a plant you've seen a thousand times before. And you may well have mistaken it for some form of small Dandelion as it has bright yellow flowers and develops a fluffy 'clock' with seeds that can be dispersed with a strong puff. 

But it's not a Dandelion. It's Common Groundsel. Or maybe Ragwort. Or maybe a close relative that looks almost identical.

Wherein lies the problem.

Common Groundsel (Senecio Vulgaris) is very widespread and grows on every kind of soil. The name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon groundeswelge meaning 'ground swallower' in reference to its tendency to grow profusely wherever it gets a chance. In some places in Scotland and the north of England it is still called called Grundy Swallow or Ground Glutton. It's also known as Grimsel, Grinsel, Grundsel, Birdseed, Chickenweed, Common Butterweed and Stinking Willie. 

In Norfolk it is known as Simson or Sention, which is most likely a corruption of its Latin name Senecio. This is derived from Senex, which means 'old man', and is also the root of the words senile, sire, surly, senate and senior. It relates to the fact that if you pluck out the tufts of white 'hair', you're left with a dotted pale smooth 'scalp'. Which is why it's also known as Old Man In The Spring. 

Meanwhile, Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) is almost identical to Groundsel (although the leaves of Grounsel are flat while Ragwort leaves are more undulating and '3D') and the two are often mistaken for each other. There are nineteen species of Senecio in the wild in Britain and they all look a lot like each other. And they scatter an enormous amount of seed, which makes them a serious problem weed for farmers as all species are poisonous to cattle and horses. Meanwhile, rabbits love them and their appearance encourages the animals onto fields of cultivated crops where they can do more damage. Birds can also eat the leaves and seeds without suffering any side effects and I've seen the family tortoise - who lives with my mother in Cornwall and must be close to 100 years old - munching them down like the tastiest salad leaves.

Both Ragwort and Groundsel are also toxic to humans. They contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can cause irreversible liver damage and possibly death if eaten in sufficient quantity. I therefore felt it was necessary to feature them on the blog because they both look quite similar to their edible cousin - the Dandelion.

Dandelions, Ragworts and Groundsels are all members of the Daisy family, Asteraceae.  However, while the Senecio branch is poisonous, the Taraxacum - the Dandelions - are not. In fact, they're very tasty and nutritious. Thankfully, Groundsel and Ragwort look quite different.

For a start, the Dandelion has a crowded flower head with many petals arranged in two layers like this:

Whereas the Groundsels/Ragworts - have flower heads with more spaced out petals. And the top layer of petals is constrained into a central button:

Secondly, Dandelion leaves are spear shaped with backward pointing barbs like this:

Whereas the Groundsels/Ragworts have irregular lobes or barbs that point outwards or forwards:

There's very little lore connected to the plants but they did once have medicinal uses. They were used for poultices in treating gout, and it was said that smelling the roots when freshly pulled from the ground was a cure for headache. 

Groundsel was also an old-fashioned remedy for chapped hands. Boiling water was poured onto fresh leaves and the liquid used as a form of handwash would supposedly remove roughness. Meanwhile, a poultice made with salt was said to 'disperse knots and kernels in the flesh.'

The Daisy family is like the Nightshade (Solanaceae) family - some are toxic, some are delicious. The Nightshades include edible Potatoes, Tomatoes and Peppers but also Deadly Nightshade, Mandrake and Tobacco that are all harmful. Meanwhile, the Daises include Dandelions, Chamomile, Lettuces, Jerusalem Artichokes and Sunflowers (all edible) but also Daisies, Ragworts, Groundsels and many others that are poisonous.

That's why identification is so important.

Therefore you should ALWAYS follow the forager's golden rule - if you're not 100% sure of your identification DON'T EAT IT.