Cardamine hirsuta

Haired Cardamine ( Cardamine hirsuta )

The Hairy Cardamine ( Cardamine hirsuta ), also known as ruderal Cress, Garden Cress, Viermänniges smock or multi -stem Cress, is a widespread in Central Europe and most frequently occurring member of the cabbage family ( Brassicaceae). It predominantly flowers from April to June, and occasionally in the fall.

Appearance

Most annual herbaceous plant reaches a height of about 7 to 30 cm. The stem grows upright and appears by numerous, rounded ascending branches often vielstängelig. He is mostly bald, top little way branching and has an existing until fruit maturity basal leaf rosette and cauline 2-4. The leaves are pinnate and have 1-4 Fiederpaare with a larger terminal leaflet. In the lower leaves, the leaflets are more or less stalked, roundish reniform or broadly obovate. The leaf petioles are conspicuously ciliate at the base. The underside of the leaves and the leaf stem are somewhat hairy. The flower cluster is not very floriferous. Formed at the initial stage doldig, it is later dominated by the pods. The sepals are about 1.5 to 2.2 mm long, narrow, elliptical-shaped, greenish- violet color and white hautrandig. The petals are white, narrow, wedge-shaped, 3-4 mm long. The flowers usually have four stamens. The pods are 12 to 25 mm long, 0.8 to 1.2 mm wide and are 3 to 13 mm long stems in a very acute angle from upright. Often they are slightly angled and grow more or less parallel to the axis of grapes.

Chromosome number: 2n = 16 and 32

Ecology

The Hairy Cress is a Therophyt. The formerly rare species has spread explosively in mild winter locations in Germany between about 1975 and 1985 and is now in gardens, now commonly found in open waste places and premolars Wegrainen and also in the fields. The species was probably introduced via nurseries and garden.

The early bloomers blooming into even into the autumn. Fruit ripening occurs within a few weeks. Thus several generations are possible in the year. The plant is a juice pressure spreader; its seeds are widely spread to 1.4 m. Therefore, the species is popularly known as " balsam "; but this designation should remain the genus Impatiens reserved.

Occurrence

Habitat requirements

The Hairy foam herb growing in weed societies, such as in gardens, vineyards, and parks. It prefers fresh, nutrient-rich, nitrogen-containing, lime-free, slightly acidic and sandy soils.

Popularization

Cardamine hirsuta occurs in all of Europe. To the east extends its range to the Himalaya. It is also found in East Africa. It is a subatlantisch - Mediterranean Florenelement. In Austria and Switzerland, the species is often found.

Distribution in Germany

The Hairy smock comes in Germany before scattered to fairly widespread. Only in East Germany, it is rare. In Saxony -Anhalt, it has recently become relatively common.

Use

The Hairy foam herb can be used as a salad or as a salad seasoning.