I have not heard the name vinegar leaves before but the only thing I can think of would be sorrel. The taste of the leaves is sharp and could be called vinegary. They can be used in salads.

as kids we used to get a kick out of chewing the stems from wood sorrel & pulling faces due to the oxalic acid content, large clover leaf plant hence the name Oxalis.

Sorrel was what popped into my mind too. It can taste almost lemony - makes a good-for-you soup in spring, or so a friend of mine swears. :-?

I have been writing my memoirs of life at an Open air school and at the moment I'm recalling the playing field. We used to seek out what we knew as vinegar leaves but what my mother who came from a different county called sour grasses, the image remains in my mind of a swarm of young children squatting down and gradually grazing across the field!!

The preamble is to show that I know vinegar leaves quite well, old friends you might say. The plant is common sorrel, Rumex acetosa, the arrow shaped leaves of which, on the playing field, grew close to the earth due to mowing.

Go to celtnet.org.uk, search in the wild foods list for sorrel to see a photo.

Apropos the shrubbery leaves, culinary bay is indeed a delight, break a fresh lef in half for a mouth-watering scent. But please don't eat bay laurel leaves as they contain prussic acid and this is insect killer......