Edible plant - novice (for Genus ID) Season - winter to summer Common names Common cornsalad, field salad, lamb's lettuce, Lewiston cornsalad and nut lettuce
Scientific name meaning: Valerianella is of Latin origin and means small Valerian. Locusta is the Latin for grasshopper or locust
Habitat  Most often found in dry or poor soils including coastal areas, arable land, waste ground, garden borders, pavements, roadsides, in walls and on cliffs. It is also cultivated. |
Overall structure  Very densely branched causing it to be much wider at its top than its base. The base of the plant consists of a large rosette of leaves. Can reach 30cm in height. Found as individual plants or in dense drifts. |
Leaves  The lower leaves are rich-green in colour and are spoon-shaped, the upper leaves are arranged in opposing pairs, are paler in colour and have an elongated oval shape. The pinnate veins of the base leaves are clearly visible on the top and bottom of the leaf. The leaves are hairless. |
Stem  The stems, which are slightly hairy, split two ways directly above each pair of leaves and in the same direction as the leaves. |
Flowers  The five-petalled pale blue to mauve flowers appear from April to June. They are arranged in dense umbel-like (umbellate) cymes heads at the terminal ends of the stems. |
Seeds  The small cream-coloured seeds appear in autumn. |
Possible lookalikes  There are several species of cornsalad, Valerianella locusta being the most common. Their seed shapes distinguish them but all species are edible. Some may confuse Forget-me-not (Myosotis spp), pictured, with cornsalad. However, forget-me-not has much larger flowers and the stems do not branch into pairs. |
Use as a food The leaves, flowers and flowering stems can be used raw in salads. The leaves have a nutty flavour and excellent texture, so are often consumed in large quantities Use in herbal medicine and medicine None known at the time of writing
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner.
Hazards None known at the time of writing
Other uses None known at the time of writing Importance to other species Food source of grazing animals and nectar source of small pollinators
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!
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