This manual will give familiarity to help identify edible and medical plants with botanical structures of plants and information on where they grow that will make them easier to locate and identify.

There are over 85 commonly found edible and medical plants covered and for each includes:

  • Name
  • Species
  • Description
  • Habitat and Distribution
  • Edible Parts of Plant
  • Other Uses
  • Cautions

Check out the entry on Bamboo:

Bamboo
Various species including Bambusa, Dendrocalamus, Phyllostachys

Description:
Bamboos are woody grasses that grow up to 15 meters tall. The leaves are grasslike and the stems are the familiar bamboo used in furniture and fishing poles.

Habitat and Distribution:
Look for bamboo in warm, moist regions in open or jungle country, in lowland, or on mountains. Bamboos are native to the Far East (Temperate and Tropical zones) but have bean widely planted around the world.

Edible Parts:
The young shoots of almost all species are edible raw or cooked. Raw shoots have a slightly bitter taste that is removed by boiling. To prepare, remove the tough protective sheath that is coated with tawny or red hairs. The seed grain of the flowering bamboo is also edible. Boil the seeds like rice or pulverize them, mix with water, and make into cakes.

Other Uses: Use the mature bamboo to build structures or to make containers, ladles, spoons, and various other cooking utensils. Also use bamboo to make tools and weapons. You can make a strong bow by splitting the bamboo and putting several pieces together.

CAUTION: Green bamboo may explode in a fire. Green bamboo has an internal membrane you must remove before using it as a food or water container.

Learning to identify edible and medical plants is a crucial survival skill.

In a survival situation, plants can provide food and medicine. Their safe usage requires absolutely positive identification, knowing how to prepare them for eating, and knowing any dangerous properties they might have.

 From abal to Yam bean, this 35 page publication details exactly what you can eat, from what plant, which grows where.