Lords and Ladies (Arum maculatum)

Someone has been having a nibble!  Bird or animal I wonder...  The plant is actually "poisonous" because it contains oxalate crystals which are very sharp that can cause irritation or if consumed can cause the throat to close ....

In the past the Portlanders in Dorset used to make a thickener from the roots called Portland Arrowroot or Portland Sago.  They were also processed by the Elizabethans to make a starch to stiffen their fancy linen ruffs.