Scurvy-grass
Encyclopedia
- The unrelated Scurvy-grass SorrelScurvy-grass SorrelOxalis enneaphylla, the scurvy-grass sorrel, is a late spring- and summer-flowering, tuberous, alpine perennial herbaceous plant native to the grasslands of South America. It is a small plant that grows to high and across. The flowers have an almond scent, and the greens are edible but have a...
(Oxalis enneaphylla) is sometimes simply called "scurvygrass". - For the Roman era spoons see Cochlearia (spoon)
Scurvy-grass (Cochlearia species; a.k.a. Scurvy grass, Scurvygrass, or Spoonwort) is a genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of about 30 species of annual
Annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
and perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
s in the cabbage
Cabbage
Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
family Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae, a medium sized and economically important family of flowering plants , are informally known as the mustards, mustard flowers, the crucifers or the cabbage family....
. They are widely distributed in temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
and arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
areas of the northern hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
, most commonly found in coast
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
al regions, on cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
-tops and salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
es where their high tolerance of salt
Sodium chloride
Sodium chloride, also known as salt, common salt, table salt or halite, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaCl. Sodium chloride is the salt most responsible for the salinity of the ocean and of the extracellular fluid of many multicellular organisms...
enables them to avoid competition from larger, but less salt-tolerant plants; they also occur in alpine
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
habitats in mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s and tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
.
They form low, rounded or creeping plants, typically 5–20 cm tall. The leaves are smoothly rounded, roughly spoon
Spoon
A spoon is a utensil consisting of a small shallow bowl, oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery , especially as part of a place setting, it is used primarily for serving. Spoons are also used in food preparation to measure, mix, stir and toss ingredients...
-shaped (the scientific name Cochlearia derives from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
ized form, cocleare, of the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
κοχλιάριον, kokhliárion, a spoon; this a diminutive of κόχλος, kókhlos, seashell), or in some species, lobed; typically 1–5 cm long, and with a fleshy texture. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are white with four petals and are borne in short raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
s.
Selected species
About 30 species are usually accepted; several others usually treated as subspecies of C. officinalis are accepted as distinct species by some botanists.- Cochlearia acutangula
- Cochlearia aestuaria – Estuarine Scurvy-grass
- Cochlearia alatipes
- Cochlearia anglicaCochlearia anglicaThe flowering plant Cochlearia anglica is known by the common names English scurvy-grass and long-leaved scurvy grass. It is a plant of the coastlines of Europe, especially the British Isles. It is edible, and as its name suggests, it is rich in vitamin C. It has spade-shaped leaves and white...
– English Scurvy-grass - Cochlearia aragonensis
- Cochlearia changhuaensis
- Cochlearia cyclocarpa – Roundfruit Scurvy-grass
- Cochlearia danicaCochlearia danicaCochlearia danica, or Danish Scurvy-grass is a flowering plant of the genus Cochlearia in the family Brassicaceae. A salt-tolerant coastal plant spreading along roads and motorways in Europe. The mauve flowers are 4-5mm in diameter....
– Early or Danish Scurvy-grass - Cochlearia fenestrata – Arctic Scurvy-grass
- Cochlearia formosana
- Cochlearia fumarioides
- Cochlearia furcatopilosa
- Cochlearia glastifolia
- Cochlearia groenlandica – Greenland Scurvy-grass
- Cochlearia henryi
- Cochlearia hui
- Cochlearia lichuanensis
- Cochlearia longistyla
- Cochlearia megalosperma
- Cochlearia microcarpa
- Cochlearia oblongifolia – East Asian Scurvy-grass
- Cochlearia officinalisCochlearia officinalisCochlearia officinalis, or Common Scurvygrass is a flowering plant of the genus Cochlearia in the family Brassicaceae....
– Common Scurvy-grass (including C. excelsa, C. pyrenaica, C. scotica) - Cochlearia paradoxa
- Cochlearia rivulorum
- Cochlearia rupicola
- Cochlearia sessilifolia – Sessile-leaved or Alaskan Scurvy-grass
- Cochlearia sinuata
- Cochlearia tatraeCochlearia tatraeCochlearia tatrae or Tatra scurvy-grass is a flowering plant of the genus Cochlearia in the family Brassicaceae. The plant is named after and grows in the Tatra Mountains, which lie in Slovakia and Poland....
- Cochlearia tridactylites – Three-fingered Scurvy-grass
- Cochlearia warburgii
Two species formerly included in the genus Cochlearia are now usually treated in separate genera:
- HorseradishHorseradishHorseradish is a perennial plant of the Brassicaceae family, which also includes mustard, wasabi, broccoli, and cabbages. The plant is probably native to south eastern Europe and the Arab World , but is popular around the world today...
Armoracia rusticana (previously Cochlearia armoracia) - WasabiWasabi, also known as Japanese horseradish, is a member of the Brassicaceae family, which includes cabbages, horseradish, and mustard. Its root is used as a condiment and has an extremely strong flavor. Its hotness is more akin to that of a hot mustard rather than the capsaicin in a chili pepper,...
Wasabia japonica (previously Cochlearia wasabi)
Cook's scurvy grass, Lepidium oleraceum
Lepidium oleraceum
Lepidium oleraceum is a herb in the Brassicaceae family, endemic to New Zealand. Its English common name is Cook's Scurvy Grass; Māori names include Heketara, Nau and Ngau.-Taxonomy:There are three recognised varieties:...
, was used by James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
to prevent scurvy, but is now almost extinct.http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10406289
Uses
Scurvy-grass was extensively eaten in the past by sailorSailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
s suffering from scurvy
Scurvy
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C, which is required for the synthesis of collagen in humans. The chemical name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is derived from the Latin name of scurvy, scorbutus, which also provides the adjective scorbutic...
after returning from long voyages, as the leaves are rich in vitamin C
Vitamin C
Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species. In living organisms ascorbate acts as an antioxidant by protecting the body against oxidative stress...
, which cures this deficiency disease resulting from a lack of fresh vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s in the diet. The leaves, which have a strong peppery taste similar to the related horseradish
Horseradish
Horseradish is a perennial plant of the Brassicaceae family, which also includes mustard, wasabi, broccoli, and cabbages. The plant is probably native to south eastern Europe and the Arab World , but is popular around the world today...
and watercress
Watercress
Watercresses are fast-growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennial plants native from Europe to central Asia, and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by human beings...
, are also sometimes used in salad
Salad
Salad is any of a wide variety of dishes, including vegetable salads; salads of pasta, legumes, eggs, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads. They may include a mixture of cold and hot, often including raw vegetables or fruits.Green salads include leaf...
s.
Scurvy-grass Sorrel
Scurvy-grass Sorrel
Oxalis enneaphylla, the scurvy-grass sorrel, is a late spring- and summer-flowering, tuberous, alpine perennial herbaceous plant native to the grasslands of South America. It is a small plant that grows to high and across. The flowers have an almond scent, and the greens are edible but have a...
(Oxalis enneaphylla) is an unrelated plant from southern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
that was also used to treat scurvy.
Scurvy-grass and roads
The advent of modern fast roadRoad
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
s treated with salt in winter for ice
Ice
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
clearance has resulted in the colonisation by scurvy-grass of many inland areas where it formerly did not occur. The scurvy-grass seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s become trapped on car
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
wheel
Wheel
A wheel is a device that allows heavy objects to be moved easily through rotating on an axle through its center, facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Common examples found in transport applications. A wheel, together with an axle,...
s, transported often for a considerable distance, and then washed off, to grow in the salt-rich soil at the side of the road where other plants cannot survive. For the rapid colonisation of a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
inland county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
between 1989–2002, see Cochlearia danica in Worcestershire.
Further reading
- (1990). "Morphology and taxonomy of the genus Cochlearia (Brassicaceae) in Northern Scandinavia".