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miagardener
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Some herb identification. Parsley, cilantro, oregano, basil?

I have a plant that smells and tastes like my parsley but looks like this:

[img]https://grfkdesign.com/img/cpid1.JPG[/img]

[img]https://grfkdesign.com/img/cpid3.JPG[/img]

[img]https://grfkdesign.com/img/cpid2.JPG[/img]

I know there are tons of different types of herbs, can you tell me exactly what this one is? Mind you, it is seeding right now and I did just take a lot of the leaves for cooking a cuban soup. Thanks. :)

Also, my Mother-in-law gave me this plant, said it was basil. It has a very light scent to it. Is it basil? THANKS! :)


[img]https://grfkdesign.com/img/cpid4.JPG[/img]

gumbo2176
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Not sure about the first 3 pictures but the last one is definitely basil. Now, what type basil is a good question. I prefer Sweet Basil and have grown Lemon Basil but no longer do. Sweet Basil is one of my favorites and I use it quite a bit. I'll toss some finely chopped leaves in salads, make bread with it, garlic and parmesian cheese, add it to baked potatoes along with all the other fixings. I find it adds a refreshing taste to lots of food. It's not just for red gravies.

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Kisal
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The one in the first 3 pics looks like Galium aparine to me. It's known by several common names. The one I'm familiar with is Bedstraw.

Gallium is a rather large genus of plants, so it could be a different species than the one I know as Bedstraw.

I agree that the last picture looks like basil. :)

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rainbowgardener
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Kisal - I trust you implicitly on plant ID's, but just out of curiosity, does the bedstraw usually have basal leaves like that? I have bedstraw/cleavers gallium aparine on my hillside and I haven't noticed any basal leaves.

gumbo2176
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RBG,the first 3 pics show a plant that Kisal identified as bedstraw. The 4th pic is one of a basil plant. Perhaps you didn't get all 4 pics for some reason.

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rainbowgardener
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I got it... my question is about the bedstraw and whether it usually has basal leaves like the ones in the pictures. Basal leaves are the first leaves at ground level that are often differently shaped than the rest of the leaves on the plant.

gumbo2176
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My bad!! Didn't know that is what those leaves were called. Now I do, thanks to your input. You know, after I posted that response, I had a feeling I may have inserted foot in mouth but it was too late to take it all back.

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microcollie
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I'm going with RBG in that the bedstaw I know doesn't have basal leaves. The plant looks a little like something in the chicory family, but the fact that it tastes like parsley and not bitter doesn't fit. Are there any signs of flowers or buds?

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miagardener
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The plant in the first 3 photos taste just like a cilantro / parsley. I believe I have seen it sold in grocery stores here in Miami as cilantro actually. It tastes just like it. It's delicious and very flavorful. I put it in guacamole, soups, a lot of Mexican and Cuban dishes. Everyone who comes over and smells it wants to take it home to cook with. It doesn't have any flowers but as you can see it is seeding right now in the photos, the seeds and such are growing outside of the pot and that whole part of the plant that is seeding is very prickly!
As for the basil, it's used in pesto a lot, no?
Thanks for all of the replies, I love all of you guys on this forum. :)

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miagardener
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Oh and I looked up bedstraw and it is definitely NOT bedstraw. It is a herb. It didn't grow the stem which toppled over the side with all of the seeds on it until after awhile, it's usually just the pretty long leaves shown in the pot. I think it's a type of cilantro if I'm not mistaken, it tastes so identical to cilantro.

I have lot of seeds if anyone wants any!

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miagardener
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Just a clarification. Parsley and cilantro are the same thing, aren't they? Don't they refer to parsley as the actual plant and cilantro as the seeds?

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Maybe it's Chicory.

Eric

DoubleDogFarm
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Don't they refer to parsley as the actual plant and cilantro as the seeds?
You maybe thinking of Coriander.

Eric

SkyKero
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parsley and cilantro have very different tastes in my opinion.

The leaves look very similar for some types.

In Mexico we always knew which was which because they would always leave the root for the cilantro -- I always wondered how we all knew .. (heh) .. :shock: is knowledge you are born with???

There is another Mexican herb called epazote -- it is very aromatic --but the leaves do not look quite right for that.

if you have both parsley and cilantro and you smell them -- cilantro is usually a much stronger smell.

I hope you find an identification! :D

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microcollie
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Parsley and cilantro are indeed two different plants (Petroselinum and Coriandrum). Both have deeply lobed leaves which look nothing like the plant in question.

If there are seeds, then there were flowers at some point. If there are still any signs, maybe a photo of those? My curiosity is peaked now.

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miagardener
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Well, I went to the grocery store and saw this plant on the shelf in the produce section and it was marked CILANTRO.

My mistake, I did mean coriander, not cilantro before when I was talking. LOL! Didn't want to confuse things even MORE! Haha :)

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microcollie
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Hmmm...still doesn't look like cilantro that I've seen. Those large, flat, un-lobed leaves don't look right.

DoubleDogFarm
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I wasn't identifying the plant. I was clarifying this confushion.
Don't they refer to parsley as the actual plant and cilantro as the seeds?
The seed is coriander.

The plant to me doesn't look like parsley or cliantro. :)

Eric

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I'm still leaning towards chicory.

https://www.donaldhyatt.com/images/Chicory-600.jpg

Give me a yea or nay.

Eric

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miagardener
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Definitely nay on the chickory.

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Troppofoodgardener
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miagardener wrote:Just a clarification. Parsley and cilantro are the same thing, aren't they? Don't they refer to parsley as the actual plant and cilantro as the seeds?
I think I may have stumbled across an answer. :D

I agree with miagardener that pics 1-3 are not bedstraw, but it is definitely a type of cilantro, or coriander. Namely Sawtooth Coriander. It's also known as Thai Coriander, Thorny coriander or Thorny culantro. See below:

https://vietherbs.com/herb-directory/sawtooth-herb/

What we in Australasia call coriander is known as cilantro in the northern hemisphere. Parsley is different altogether... I'm not sure what this coriander tastes like, but I've been told it's stronger-flavoured than Sweet Coriander. Which confusingly LOOKS a bit like flat-leaf (Italian) parsley.

In my opinion, coriander and parsley taste quite different... But cilantro = coriander = culantro. Parsley is just parsley! :lol:

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rainbowgardener
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No, let's don't add to the confusion.

Culantro (I have heard) is similar tasting to cilantro but it is a different plant.

Cilantro = coriander sativum is the parsley looking one

Culantro = eryngium foetidum is the one that looks more like the pictures


https://www.caribbeanseeds.com/cilantro-culantro.htm

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applestar
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Now I'm completely confused :nutz:
But CULANTRO does look like OPs photo! :D
Ding, ding, ding! I do believe we have a winner! :lol:

Good job troppofoodgardener!
(and thanks rainbow for breaking down the scientific names :wink:)

I remember someone starting a thread asking if anyone here was growing culantro and not getting many replies. 8)
Last edited by applestar on Tue Nov 09, 2010 7:07 am, edited 1 time in total.

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rainbowgardener
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yeah, here's an earlier cilantro vs culantro thread;

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=109925&highlight=culantro#109925

and here's one where someone posted pictures of their herbs including culantro and cilantro

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=98977&highlight=culantro#98977

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Troppofoodgardener
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Okay... I was mistaken about the cilantro = culantro part. Cilantro = coriander is still correct. Parsley is just that. Culantro is all by itself too.

But cilantro is just another term for coriander, vice versa. Just like zucchini is called courgette in different parts of the world.

Thanks applestar for the credit. I can see why you're a Mod :)

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miagardener
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Has anyone figured out exactly what plant is in the first 3 pictures? Other than it smelling just like a cilantro or parsley, and other than the same leaf being sold at the grocery store as cilantro, I cannot find any info on it. Any insight is appreciated. :)

DoubleDogFarm
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I now it was kind of hard to follow all the chatter, but Troppofoodgardener, solved the mystery plant.

Common Culinary Names: Sawtooth Herb, Mexican/ Wild /Thorny coriander Culantro


Culantro not Cilantro. :D


More information

https://vietherbs.com/herb-directory/sawtooth-herb/

Eric

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Troppofoodgardener
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Sawtooth Coriander (Eryngium foetidum)

I'm familiar with this herb because I've actually been wanting to grow some of it myself, but it's not readily available to purchase from nurseries here.

The Sawtooth Coriander is suggested to be a replacement for regular Sweet Coriander in the hot tropics, as the latter does not like high humidity and goes to seed quickly. (I know, I've tried!)

Here's another link on how to grow/harvest Sawtooth Coriander:

https://www.greenculturesg.com/articles/sep07/sep07_sawtoothcoriander.pdf

rsolis251
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Hey I guess this is already pretty much settled but yeah, the plant in the first 3 pics is widely grown and used here in Trinidad. We call it Chadon Beni. its Eryngium Foetidum.

people here boil the leaves and roots and drink the water for pneumonia, flu, diabetes and constipation

and the plant tops are used for seasoning. It makes anything taste amazing haha.

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[img]https://mibatey.com/plantas/recao/recao.jpg[/img]

Edited by applestar to fix image display

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miagardener
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THANK YOU SO MUCH ALL OF YOU WONDERFUL KNOWLEDGEABLE GARDENERS! IT IS CULANTRO!!!!!!!!!!!! TOO BAD THE GROCERY STORE HAS IT LISTED AS CILANTRO ON THE PACKAGE. I LOVE IT! I AM SO GLAD I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT IS. I HAVE TONS OF SEEDS THAT I COLLECTED YESTERDAY, IF YOU'D LIKE SOME THEN SEND ME A SASE I WILL SEND YOU SOME SEEDS, IT'S DELICIOUS!

THANKS AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

DoubleDogFarm
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Shhhhh.... Your making my dogs bark :lol:


Eric

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applestar
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:lol: Hush Pepper, it's OK. You too, Jacob... Go back to sleep. :wink:

For those not aware, posting in CAPS is considered shouting. :wink:

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miagardener
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Sorry, I was shouting because I was so excited because this site is awesome. Hehe.

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rainbowgardener
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Now there's a delayed reaction... In November, people say shhh, you're shouting, you're waking the dogs and in April the OP says, oh sorry. I guess you had to think about that one a long time! :) (Just teasing! :) )

Barefoot Herbalist
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This is what is called Spiny Cilantro or Mexican Cilantro (or if your using the seeds Mexican Coriander)

if you look it up on Google images you will see that this kind of Cilantro has flat basal leaves but the tops are Spiny (thus the name spiny cilantro)

Also that last plant looks a bit like Lime Basil, which of course is a basil it just is not as pungent as sweet or mammoth basil.

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digitS'
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Well, I started to get into this last year and decided I'd just be kicking up dust.

April came around and I realized I still didn't have anything to contribute.

I'm not sure if it helps to go back and revisit but . . .

Vietnam or Mexican cilantro, or culantro:

Image
on the right

digitS'

mayra
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The first plant looks like recao or culantro (common in puertorrican food and other caribbean foods). In English it is called Long coriander or spiny coriander. The latin name is Eryngium foetidum L. This is a very common herb in latin food. My mother uses it with a lot of meals. It is added to soups, beans, stews, etc. Once the meal is done, just remove the leaves before serving. It grows very well, hard to kill and yes, it has a very strong odor. I love it, it is great.



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