Cochlearia officinalis

Scurvy Grass ( Cochlearia officinalis)

The Real scurvy grass ( Cochlearia officinalis ) is a plant that belongs to the family of cruciferous plants ( Brassicaceae). Other common names are bitter cress, Skorbutkraut, spoon leaves, watercress and spoon. There is an almost -forgotten culinary herb.

Description

The Real spoon herb grows as a biennial to perennial herbaceous plant, reaching heights of growth from 20 to 50 cm. The aboveground plant parts are bare. The leaves are borne in a basal rosette and are distributed on the stem. The basal leaves are usually kidney-shaped. The upper stem leaves are sessile and amplexicaul and heart-shaped.

The flowers are in racemose inflorescences. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite cruciform. The four free petals are 3 to 5.5 mm long and white.

The fruit stalks are almost horizontally on the inflorescence axis and are one to three times as long as the mature silicles. The little pods are ovoid to globose and usually rounded at both ends. The seeds are 1.5 mm long.

Occurrence

It comes in saline marshes, especially in the higher zones of the salt marsh on the sea front. The spread extends from the shores of the Arctic to the temperate zones of the northern hemisphere and the mountains of Europe. His relatives include the English scurvy grass ( Cochlearia anglica ) and the Danish scurvy grass ( Cochlearia danica ). It is among the first spring flowers. In its leaves it collects the salt and this pushes then gradually dried up from.

Use

Scurvy grass thrives in a sunny spot as well as in half-or full shade. It needs moisture. You can sow scurvy grass in spring and autumn, the seeds you just flatten to the ground and germinate after 21 to 28 days. The plants are about 30 cm high and should have about 10 to 20 cm distance from each other. Who needs in the kitchen a few leaves, single leaves can also pick under the snow, because it remains evergreen.

Spoon herb that tastes similar to cress ( also a type of the family Brassicaceae ). It tastes to all lettuces, herbs, cottage cheese, herb butter, carrots and potatoes. It can be dried bad, but easy to place them in salt.

Medicine

Spoon herb helps to spring fatigue and tiredness after great physical exertion. It is to act styptic for bleeding in the mouth and nasal cavity, the tea of the dried plant is to be useful in gout and rheumatism. As the part of the name " officinalis " shows the plant formerly belonged to the foundation of the pharmacist.

Agents

Vitamin C, Senfölglykosid Glucocochlearin, isothiocyanates, bitter substances, minerals, tannins, essential oils.