Common Name: Pigweed or Amaranth Botanical name: Amaranthus spinosa Bloom Period: Spring through Summer Description: annual with taproot, alternate leaves, 1–3 feet tall Habitat: found in cultivated ground, can grow in the cracks of sidewalks Uses: Food- using the leaves and stems for salads and the seeds for breads, cereals Dyes- pale yellow or tan Fiber- making rope Common Name: Chickweed Botanical Name: Stellaria media Bloom Period: Spring through Fall Description: annual, low growing, stems root at joints Habitat: lawns and gardens Uses: Food- raw in salads or cooked as greens Medicinal- high in vitamin C, used for sores and bruises Common Name: Curly Dock, Sour Dock Botanical Name: Rumex crispus Bloom Period: Summer Description: perennial, 1 – 2 feet tall, deep taproot, oblong lance shaped leaves, wavy at the edges Habitat: fields and disturbed ground Uses: Food- leaves used as a cooked green and seeds are edible used as a cereal or a meal for baking bread Dyes- yellows and browns Medicinal- laxative and antiseptic Common Name: Henbit Botanical Name: Lamium amplexicaule Bloom Period: Spring/Summer Description: annual or biennial, a few inches tall, purple flowers , leaves have scalloped edges Habitat: found in gardens and cultivated fields, 4 angled square stems Uses: Food- a member of the mint family, suitable for tea and for salads Common Name: Lambsquarter Botanical Name: Chenopodium album Bloom Period: Summer Description: mealy (whitish powder) on top and especially bottoms of leaves, leaves shaped like a goose foot, 12 -24 inches tall Habitat: open fields and cultivated land Uses: Food- leaves steamed or boiled as greens. Seeds ground into cereal or flower or popped like popcorn Dye- bright yellow Common Name: Prickly Lettuce Botanical Name: Lactuca serrriola Bloom Period: Spring/Summer Description: annual, 1- 3 feet tall prickles on back midrib of leaf, seven related wild lettuces in Texas Habitat: gardens and disturbed soil sites Uses: Food- early leaves and stems used in salads Industry- latex in the milky white liquid has commercial uses Common Name: Nut Sedge/Nut Grass Botanical Name: Cyperus rotundus Bloom Period: Summer Description: perennial, grass-like leaves several inches tall in a fan- shaped cluster. Flower stalk is a triangular stem. Nut-like tuber underground Habitat: lawns and gardens Uses: Food- eat the tuber or grind it into flour Fibers- some varieties make paper Common Name: Peppergrass Botanical Name: Lepidium virginicum Bloom Period: Spring Description: annual, 1-2 feet tall, branched, rounded mass of seed stalks Habitat: cultivated fields and disturbed ground Uses: Food- seeds as spice, leaves in salads Dye- greens and beige for textiles Common Name: Poke Salad, Ink Berry Botanical Name: Phytolacca americana Bloom Period: Spring Description: perennial, 6-8 feet tall, red stems and purple berries Habitat: open fields and cleared ground Uses: Food- stems and leaves as greens (danger, must know how) Dye- pink or red Industry- ink in schools 100 years ago Common Name: Spurge Botanical Name: Euphorbia maculata Bloom Period: Spring/Summer Description: small leaved, mat like growth, milky juice when stems broken Habitat: fields and lawns Uses: Industry- latex and hydrocarbon uses for fuels, rubbers, and plastics Medicinal- white sap will remove warts Common Name: Bindweed Botanical Name: Convolvulus arvensis Bloom Period: Summer Description: Morning Glory family, low to the ground vining/twining plant, roots to 3 feet deep. Habitat: open field and cultivated gardens Uses: Dye- yellow for textiles Common Name: Purslane Botanical Name: Portulaca oleracea Bloom Period: Spring/Summer Description: Low growing with small thick leaves. When broken, leaves exude a mucilaginous juice (like okra) Habitat: cultivated fields and gardens Uses: Food- leaves and stems, boiled, steamed, fried or pickled seeds for making flour for breads and muffins Common Name: Bermuda Grass Botanical Name: Cynodon dactylon Bloom Period: Summer Description: perennial, spreads by seeds, surface runners (stolons), under ground roots (rhizomes) Habitat: grows everywhere Uses: hard wearing grass for heavily used areas and to cover bare ground .