Salad Burnet - introduced (*Sanguisorba minor)

Other names: Sheep’s Burnet, *Poterium polygamum.

Family: Rosaceae (Rose family).

Native of Europe and the Mediterranean area.

Occurrence: An uncommon weed that may be locally abundant.

Identification:

• the leaves are divided into toothed leaflets
• the petals are not obvious, and the flowers are clustered into an oval head
• the plant grows to about half a metre high.

Salad Burnet has been used to flavour food and drink.

Similar species: The leaves resemble those of Sheep’s Burr. Sheep’s Burr differs in that the seeds have barbed spines which stick to clothing, and the flowers grow along the flowering stem. In Salad Burnet the flower clusters are at the ends of the stems.

Photos: Salad Burnet. Muckleford South.