Cochlearia

Last updated
The unrelated scurvy-grass sorrel (Oxalis enneaphylla) is sometimes simply called "scurvygrass".
For the Roman era spoons see Cochlearia (spoon)

Scurvy-grass
Cochlearia excelsa.jpg
Cochlearia officinalis subsp. pyrenaica
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Cochlearia
L.
Species

About 25 species, see text

Cochlearia (scurvy-grass or spoonwort) is a genus of about 30 species of annual and perennial herbs in the family Brassicaceae. They are widely distributed in temperate and arctic areas of the northern hemisphere, most commonly found in coastal regions, on cliff-tops and salt marshes where their high tolerance of salt enables them to avoid competition from larger, but less salt-tolerant plants; they also occur in alpine habitats in mountains and tundra.

Contents

They form low, rounded or creeping plants, typically 5–20 cm tall. The leaves are smoothly rounded, roughly spoon-shaped (the scientific name Cochlearia derives from the Latinized form, cocleare, of the Greek 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 flowers are white with four petals and are borne in short racemes.

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.

Two species formerly included in the genus Cochlearia are now usually treated in separate genera:

Cook's scurvy grass, Lepidium oleraceum , was used by James Cook to prevent scurvy, but is now almost extinct.

History and uses

In the first century A.D. Pliny the Elder (A.D. 23-79) writes in his Naturalis Historia (Natural History), about a disease suffered by Roman soldiers in Germany. Their symptoms resemble those of scurvy, and Pliny recommends a Herba britannica, which has been suggested to be scurvy-grass. [2] [3]

Scurvy-grass was frequently eaten in the past by sailors suffering from scurvy after returning from long voyages. [4] [5] The leaves are rich in vitamin C, [6] [3] which cures this deficiency disease resulting from a lack of fresh vegetables in the diet. [7]

The Rev. George Moore recorded the purchase of "a pint of scurvey-grasse" for 1 s in 1662. He apparently "suffered much" from scurvy, purchasing scurvey-grasse in both bundled and bottled form. [5] The book Cochlearia curiosa: or the curiosities of scurvygrass was published in English in 1676, [8] Described as "both a learned and accurate work", it was well received. [9] and apparently brought scurvy-grass "into great repute" as a remedy. [5] The book contained "not only a description of the several kinds of this plant, with its several names, place, and time of growth, temperature and general vertues, but also an enumeration of the uses, medicinal vertues and manner of applying each part of this plant." [10] In 1857, Cochlearia officinalis was described in The Elements of Materia Medica and Therapeutics as "A gentle stimulant, aperient, and diuretic. It has long been esteemed as an antiscorbutic. It has also been used in visceral obstructions. It is occasionally eaten with bread and butter, like the water-cress." [11]

The leaves, which have a strong acrid, bitter, or peppery taste similar to the related horseradish and watercress, are also sometimes used in salads or eaten with bread and butter. [11]

Scurvy-grass sorrel (Oxalis enneaphylla) is an unrelated plant from southern South America and the Falkland Islands that was also used to treat scurvy.

Scurvy-grass and roads

The advent of modern fast roads treated with salt in winter for ice clearance has resulted in the colonisation by scurvy-grass of many inland areas where it formerly did not occur. The scurvy-grass seeds become trapped on car wheels, 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. [12]

Related Research Articles

Grass refers to the many species of plants in the family Poaceae.

Scurvy Human disease

Scurvy is a disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C. Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, feeling tired and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, decreased red blood cells, gum disease, changes to hair, and bleeding from the skin may occur. As scurvy worsens there can be poor wound healing, personality changes, and finally death from infection or bleeding.

Wasabi Species of edible plant

Wasabi or Japanese horseradish is a plant of the family Brassicaceae, which also includes horseradish and mustard in other genera. A paste made from its ground rhizomes is used as a pungent condiment for sushi and other foods. It is similar in taste to hot mustard or horseradish rather than chili peppers in that it stimulates the nose more than the tongue. Most wasabi flavoring in commerce is, however, ersatz, based on horseradish and food coloring.

Horseradish species of flowering plants in the cabbage family Brassicaceae

Horseradish is a perennial plant of the family Brassicaceae. It is a root vegetable, cultivated and used worldwide as a spice and as a condiment. The species is probably native to southeastern Europe and western Asia.

Asparagus Species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae

Asparagus, or garden asparagus, folk name sparrow grass, scientific name Asparagus officinalis, is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus Asparagus. Its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable.

<i>Oxalis</i> Genus of flowering plants

Oxalis is a large genus of flowering plants in the wood-sorrel family Oxalidaceae, comprising about 570 species. The genus occurs throughout most of the world, except for the polar areas; species diversity is particularly rich in tropical Brazil, Mexico and South Africa.

<i>Oxalis enneaphylla</i> Species of flowering plant

Oxalis enneaphylla, scurvy grass, is a late spring- and summer-flowering, rhizomatous, alpine perennial herbaceous plant native to the grasslands of Patagonia and the Falkland Islands. It is a small plant that grows to 7 cm (2.8 in) high and 10 cm (3.9 in) across, with slightly fleshy, hairy, blue-grey leaves, which are edible but have a sharp taste due to their high oxalic acid content. The name enneaphylla comes from the Greek εννεα (ennea), "nine" and φυλλον (phyllon), "leaf".

Bush bread

Bush bread, or seedcakes, refers to the bread made by Aboriginal Australians, by crushing seeds into a dough, after which it is baked. The bread was high in protein and carbohydrate, and helped form part of a balanced traditional diet. It is also sometimes referred to as damper, although damper is more commonly used to describe the bread made by non-Indigenous people.

<i>Oxalis violacea</i> Species of flowering plant

Oxalis violacea, the violet wood-sorrel, is a perennial plant and herb in the family Oxalidaceae. Oxalis species are also known as sour grass, sour trefoil, and shamrock.

Portencross Human settlement in Scotland

Portencross is a hamlet near Farland Head in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Situated about three kilometres west of Seamill and about two kilometres south of Hunterston B nuclear power station, it is noted for Portencross Castle.

<i>Cochlearia danica</i> Species of flowering plant in the cabbage family Brassicaceae

Cochlearia danica, or Danish scurvygrass, is a flowering plant of the genus Cochlearia in the family Brassicaceae.

<i>Cochlearia anglica</i> Species of flowering plant in the cabbage family Brassicaceae

Cochlearia anglica is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae known by the common names English scurvygrass 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 flowers.

<i>Cochlearia officinalis</i> Species of flowering plant in the cabbage family Brassicaceae

Cochlearia officinalis, common scurvygrass, scurvy-grass, or spoonwort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. The plant acquired its common name from the observation that it cured scurvy, and it was taken on board ships in dried bundles or distilled extracts. Its very bitter taste was usually disguised with herbs and spices; however, this did not prevent scurvygrass drinks and sandwiches becoming a popular fad in the UK until the middle of the nineteenth century, when citrus fruits became more readily available.

Lepidium oleraceum is a herb in the family Brassicaceae, endemic to New Zealand. Its English common name is Cook's scurvy grass; Māori names include nau, ngau, naunau and heketara.

<i>Actinidia polygama</i> Species of plant

Actinidia polygama is a species of kiwifruit in the Actinidiaceae family. It grows in the mountainous areas of Korea, Japan and China at elevations between 500 and 1,900 metres.

Norrard Rocks

The Norrard (Northern) Rocks are a group of small uninhabited granite rocks in the north–western part of the Isles of Scilly, to the west of Bryher and Samson. In 1971 they were designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for their breeding seabird colonies and they are permanently closed to landings from boat passengers. The vegetation on the islands is limited by the extreme exposure and only six species of flowering plants have been recorded.

Spice use in Antiquity

Spices have been around in conjunction with human use for millennia, with many civilizations in antiquity that have used a variety of spices for their common qualities. The variety of spices were used for common purposes across the ancient world, and they were also used to create a variety of products designed to enhance or suppress certain sensations. Spices were also associated with certain rituals to perpetuate a superstition or fulfill a religious obligation, among other things.

References

  1. ↑ "Cochlearia officinalis Scurvy Grass, Spoonwort PFAF Plant Database". pfaf.org. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  2. ↑ Klenner, F.; Stone, Irwin; Cathcart, Robert (2018). 80 Years of High-Dose-Vitamin C Research. Books on Demand. p. 359. ISBN   978-3-7528-1275-6 . Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  3. 1 2 Brickley, Megan; Ives, Rachel (2008). The Bioarchaeology of Metabolic Bone Disease. Burlington: Elsevier. pp. 41–44. ISBN   9780080557915 . Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  4. ↑ "Discover the Heritage of the Tees". Gazette Live. 22 November 2006. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 Blencowe, Robert Willis (1848). "Extracts from the Journal and Account Book of the Rev. Giles Moore". Sussex Archaeological Collections. London: Sussex Archaeological Society; John Russell Smith. 1: 87. doi: 10.5284/1086837 .
  6. ↑ Packer, Lester; Fuchs, Jürgen (1997). Vitamin C in health and disease. New York: M. Dekker. pp. 11–17. ISBN   978-0824793135 . Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  7. ↑ Price, Catherine (2017). "The Age of Scurvy". Distillations. 3 (2): 12–23. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
  8. ↑ Moellenbrock, Valentin Andreas; Sherley, Thomas (1675). Cochlearia curiosa: or The curiosities of scurvygrass. Being an exact scrutiny and careful description of the nature and medicinal vertue of scurvygrass. In which is exhibited to publick use the most and best preparations of medicines, both Galenical and chymical; either for internal or external use, in which that plant, or any part thereof is imployed. Written in Latine by Dr. Andreas Valentinus Molimbrochius of Lipswick. Englished by Tho. Sherley, M.D. and physitian in ordinary to His present Majesty. London: Printed by S. and B. Griffin for William Cademan. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  9. ↑ Kenny, Neil (2004). The uses of curiosity in early modern France and Germany. Oxford [u.a.]: Oxford Univ. Press. p. 190. ISBN   9780199271368 . Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  10. ↑ "An Accompt of Some Books". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. 11 (123–132): 621. 1 January 1676. doi: 10.1098/rstl.1676.0015 . Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  11. 1 2 Pereira, Jonathan; Kilmer, Fred B. (1857). The Elements of Materia Medica and Therapeutics. 2. Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans. p. 579. ISBN   9781278610887 . Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  12. ↑ "The Use of Old Records - Some Worked Examples". wbrc.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.