[SYSTEM WARNING: ⚠️ RESOURCE IDENTIFIED]

Specimen: Daucus carota. Identification: Queen Anne’s Lace. Status: EDIBLE / MEDICINAL. Hazard: Lethal Mimicry (Hemlock Protocol). OVERVIEW: This is the wild ancestor of the modern carrot. It provides a vital survival taproot and medicinal seeds, but it is the ultimate test for a scavenger’s eye. It often thrives in the same disturbed soil as the Assassins (Poison Hemlock), making identification a life-or-death requirement. High-stakes harvest protocol engaged.

FIELD IDENTIFICATION: THE TRIAD CLEARANCE

To clear this specimen for “Edible Rations”, you must verify the Three-Point Clearance. In the wasteland, a 99% ID is a death sentence. If the specimen fails even one of these checks, it is designated as a “Red Zone” hazard.

1. THE STEM (The “Hairy” Shield): Unlike the smooth, “blood-splotched” stems of the Hemlocks, the Wild Carrot stem is covered in fine, white hairs. This is the primary tactile marker. If the stem is hairy, it is a Carrot. If it is smooth, it is a killer.
2. THE SCENT LOCK (The “Kitchen” Check): Uproot the specimen. The root must smell exactly like a kitchen carrot. Poison Hemlock will produce a rank, unpleasant odor often described as “mouse urine” or a musty animal cage. If the scent is foul, discard immediately.
3. THE ANATOMY CHECK (Purple Heart & Bracts): Look at the center of the white flower cluster for a single, tiny, dark-red or purple flower (The “Purple Heart”). Then, check directly beneath the flower head for three-pronged green “fingers” (Bracts) that cradle the base of the lace.

PRIMARY IDENTIFICATION

MARKERS THE STEM: Solid, green, and hairy. Typically 1–3 feet tall. Never features the purple splotches of the Assassin.

THE LEAVES: Highly “lacy” and fern-like. Very similar to Poison Hemlock, but typically smaller and featuring fine hairs on the underside of the leaf stalks.

THE FLOWERS: Flat-topped white umbels. As the seeds mature, the cluster often curls inward, resembling a “Bird’s Nest.”

HABITAT: Roadsides, dry fields, and wasteland borders. Avoid specimens found in “The Wet Zone.”

WASTELAND UTILIZATION (ARCHIVAL DATA)

• The Root: Best harvested in its first year (basal rosette stage, before the flower stalk appears) for a nutritious, calorie-dense taproot.
• The Seeds: Historically used in bunker apothecaries for medicinal support, though the margin for error in seed collection is razor-thin.

⚠️ DEADLY DOPPELGÄNGER PROTOCOL: THE ASSASSINS

Queen Anne’s Lace is the most dangerous forageable due to its visual overlap with the Hemlock family. Use these markers to differentiate:

WILD CARROT (The Resource)

• Stem: Hairy and solid green.
• Flower: Often has a single purple floret in the center.
• Root Scent: Pure Carrot.

POISON HEMLOCK (The Assassin)

• Stem: Hairless with purple splotches.
• Flower: Pure white umbels; no central purple floret.
• Root Scent: Mousy/Rotten.

WATER HEMLOCK (The Executioner)

• Veins: Lead to the notches of the leaves.
• Habitat: Marshy “Wet Zones.”
• Effect: Rapid-onset seizures.

BUNKER CLEARANCE:

This information is for identification and avoidance purposes only. KNF7 and the Bunker Archives are not responsible for misidentification or the results of handling toxic specimens. Always cross-reference the “Hairy Stem” and “Notch” protocols before contact. Misidentification of this specific specimen is a terminal error.

SYSTEM NOTICE: ARCHIVAL SAFETY DATA

This record consists of historical identification markers and toxicological data compiled from botanical archives and survival field logs. NO MEDICAL ADVICE PROVIDED.