h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

>>how safe foraged food is to eat. Or is it just a matter of common sense?<<

It is a matter of a lot of knowledge - ie having good enough botanical or mycological skills to safely identify plants and fungi or a lot of caution - ie sticking to species that are easy to identify as safe plants

If stuck in the wild, watch other mammals.

....especially ones with big teeth and claws

Doesn't always work, though. I think rabbits are partial to deadly nightshade, for instance...

..mice and squirrels certainly eat fungi that would kill humans

when stuck in the wild

watch them, catch them,eat them

..generally a safer bet than risking eating unknown plants

I wonder if you can get a buzz off a mouse that's been eating fly agaric?

Shall we find out?

After you...

mouse is not really my thing

I had a Vietnamese student in an English class once who had been through some hard times.

She told me she had a good recipe for mouse.

The baby ones are the juiciest.

http://www.null-hypothesis.co.uk/science//item/weird_science_baby_mouse_wine

Is there anything humans won't try to eat?

I do recall that there was a man once who ate a bicycle.

Actually, he ate eighteen bicycles. Also a small piece of the Eiffel Tower (which must, surely, count as foraged food?) and......a Cessna 150. But no baby mice.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Lotito

I suspect there was not a little exploitation going on there.

It *would* be a Frenchman.

I think the Eiffel Tower coundts as foraged food.

Yesterday I was collecting marshmallow flowers:
http://www.casapia.com/dietetica-herbolario/images/stories/malvavisco.jpg

Are they in bloom around there? Here are in full, finally it has rained, after a very dry winter and spring, with some sunny days. Now everything here is in full bloom.

I´ll take the roots later, by June.

I wonder if any of you use this plant.

It´s great for respiratory problems, colds, soared throats, etc.