Crambe maritima

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Sea kale
Crambe Maritima Estonia.jpg
Growing in Estonia
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Crambe
Species:
C. maritima
Binomial name
Crambe maritima
L.
Crambe maritima flowers; Saaremaa, Estonia Crambe maritima flowers 062811.jpg
Crambe maritima flowers; Saaremaa, Estonia
Shingle beach with sea kale, Landguard Fort, Suffolk Shingle beach and sea kale - geograph.org.uk - 1442148.jpg
Shingle beach with sea kale, Landguard Fort, Suffolk

Crambe maritima, common name sea kale, [1] seakale or crambe, [1] is a species of halophytic (salt-tolerant) flowering plant in the genus Crambe of the family Brassicaceae. It grows wild along the coasts of mainland Europe and the British Isles.

The plant is related to the cabbage and was first cultivated as a vegetable in Britain around the turn of the 18th century. The blanched stems are eaten as a vegetable, and became popular in the mid-19th century.

Description

Growing to 75 cm (30 in) tall by 60 cm (24 in) wide, it is a mound-forming, spreading perennial. [2] It has large fleshy glaucous collard-like leaves and abundant white flowers. The globular pods contain a single seed.

Distribution

This species appears to be a European endemic, with a distribution generally confined to two discontinuous coastal regions of Europe; the species is absent from North Africa and the Middle East. It occurs in the Black Sea coasts of Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine including the Crimea, but is absent from most of the Mediterranean, recurring again from northern France and the British Isles to the Baltic Sea. In the Iberian Peninsula, Greece and Italy it is replaced by the species Crambe hispanica , with which its distribution has been confused with until quite recently; the species is absent from Portugal, Greece, Italy [3] [4] and Spain, [5] [6] but is said to occur in Croatia. [3]

Although it was once believed to be found growing in Israel and Jordan, [3] or alternatively Lebanon and Syria, [7] these populations are now classified as C. hispanica. [8] [9]

It is very rare in Northern Ireland, but has been recorded in Counties Down and Antrim, [10] and in a number of other coastal counties in the island of Ireland. [11] [12] In England it is primarily found on the southeast coast (extensively along Chesil Beach in Dorset), but it also occurs on stretches of the East Anglian and Cumbrian coasts. In Wales it is found on the northern beaches and in Scotland in the extreme southwest. [13]

It is uncommonly found along the coast of Norway, particularly so in the Færder National Park. [14]

Ecology

Sea kale growing in typical habitat in Shoreham Beach nature reserve, UK. Shoreham Beach SNCI - geograph.org.uk - 179687.jpg
Sea kale growing in typical habitat in Shoreham Beach nature reserve, UK.

Crambe maritima is a halophyte, meaning that it tolerates salt and is therefore found on coastal beaches where little else thrives. [15] It is usually found above high tide mark on beaches in which the sand includes pebbles or rock. [16] A typical habitat for the species in Britain is vegetated shingle beaches, where it grows in association with yellow horned poppy and curled dock. [17] It is the dominant plant species in plant communities found in fragmentary, endangered habitats on shingle beaches and bars on the southern Baltic coasts of Sweden, Finland and Estonia, east to Mecklenburg, where it grows together with Leymus arenarius , Euphorbia palustris , Honkenya peploides , Angelica archangelica ssp. litoralis, Atriplex spp., Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima, Elymus repens , Geranium robertianum ssp. rubricaule, Glaucium flavum , Isatis tinctoria , Ligusticum scoticum , Mertensia maritima , Silene uniflora , Tripleurospermum maritimum and Valeriana salina . [18] Trapping wind-blown sand, clumps of sea kale may initiate the formation of dunes. [19]

Cultivation and culinary use

Sea kale as decorative plant in Birling Gap garden on dry sandy soil by the sea Sea Kale as decorative plant in Birling Gap garden.jpg
Sea kale as decorative plant in Birling Gap garden on dry sandy soil by the sea

There are records from the 18th century of local people along some coasts of England digging out and harvesting the emerging shoots as a vegetable from naturally occurring root crowns in the early springtime. This custom was first reported by Phillip Miller in his 1731 Gardener's Dictionary as practised among the indigenous peoples of Sussex, and it was seen once in the 18th century being sold as food at the Chichester market in 1753. John Martyn was the first to publish some practical notes on cultivating the plant in a late edition of Miller's work, but William Curtis was the first to publish a tract about his experiments of growing the plant as a vegetable crop in London in 1799, just before his death, with John Maher giving a reading before the Horticultural Society of London in 1805 which elaborated slightly on the work of Curtis. Both Curtis and Maher recommended growing the plant as a forced, blanched vegetable, growing the root crown in a ceramic cylinder which could be capped with a closed blanching pot. Over and about this pot fresh manure would be heaped a few feet deep, the heat produced when this dung rotted would be sufficient to force the plant to bolt as early as December, although later in the winter was recommended. For those without the financial means to purchase expensive blanching pots, Maher suggests covering the plants in a mat covered by a thick layer of gravel, and Curtis mentions simply hoeing a foot of soil over the crown, or piling sea sand, pebbles or coal ash over it, although both agree this will produce a much inferior crop. An area of roughly five square feet could hold a single root crown consisting of three plants, which after growing out from seed for three years could be forced at least twice a season to yield four to six shoots of up to twelve inches, although usually much less. [16] [20]

Blanched shoots Blanched Crambe Maritima.JPG
Blanched shoots

Thomas Jefferson grew sea kale at Monticello between 1820 and 1825. [21] It was served at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, when Prince Regent George IV of the United Kingdom (1762–1830) used it as a seaside retreat.[ citation needed ] By the Victorian Era sea kale had become "in very general use" as a vegetable in Britain, according to the popular cookbook Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management , in which it is called a type of asparagus, although at nine pennies for a basket of sprouts, it was one of the most expensive vegetables to be had. [22] [23] Its cultivation is discussed in older books on vegetable growing. [24] Wild stocks were severely reduced in Britain by forcing in situ and collecting for food until the practice was banned in the early 20th century. Sea kale fell out of favour, but in the early 21st century, British chefs made it fashionable again. It is commercially grown by a number of farmers in Britain. [22]

A tiny experimental plot of sea kale is cultivated on Texel, a North Sea island in the Netherlands. It is irrigated with adulterated seawater. [25]

Maher mentions that he personally considered blanched sea kale a delicacy. [16] Curtis says that as a food, boiled twenty minutes and covered in melted butter, it resembled most asparagus, although with hints of cabbage. He reports most he served it to found it agreeable; although some found it no better than cabbage, others found it superior even to asparagus. Although Curtis had never tried to do so himself, he mentions someone once made a decent stew of it and also theorizes that perhaps it might be well suited to be pickled. [20]

Related Research Articles

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

Crambe is a genus of annual and perennial flowering plants in the family Brassicaceae, native to a variety of habitats in Europe, Turkey, southwest and central Asia and eastern Africa. They carry dense racemes of tiny white or yellow flowers on stems above the basal leaves. Crambe hispanica subsp. abyssinica, formerly known as Crambe abyssinica, is grown for the oil from the seeds that has characteristics similar to whale oil.

<i>Salicornia</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Amaranthaceae

Salicornia is a genus of succulent, halophytic flowering plants in the family Amaranthaceae that grow in salt marshes, on beaches, and among mangroves. Salicornia species are native to North America, Europe, central Asia, and southern Africa. Common names for the genus include glasswort, pickleweed, picklegrass, and marsh samphire; these common names are also used for some species not in Salicornia. To French speakers in Atlantic Canada, they are known colloquially as titines de souris. The main European species is often eaten, called marsh samphire in Britain, and the main North American species is occasionally sold in grocery stores or appears on restaurant menus as sea beans, samphire greens or sea asparagus.

<i>Eryngium maritimum</i> Species of flowering plant in the celery family Apiaceae

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sea beet</span> Subspecies of beet (terrestrial)

The sea beet, Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima, is a member of the family Amaranthaceae native to the coasts of Europe, northern Africa, and southern Asia.

<i>Prunus maritima</i> Species of tree

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<i>Armeria maritima</i> Flowering plant in the family Plumbaginaceae

Armeria maritima, the thrift, sea thrift or sea pink, is a species of flowering plant in the family Plumbaginaceae. It is a compact evergreen perennial which grows in low clumps and sends up long stems that support globes of bright pink flowers. In some cases purple, white or red flowers also occur. It is a popular garden flower and has been distributed worldwide as a garden and cut flower. It does well in gardens designed as xeriscapes or rock gardens. The Latin specific epithet maritima means pertaining to the sea or coastal.

<i>Crambe cordifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Crambe cordifolia, the greater sea-kale, colewort or heartleaf crambe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, native to the Caucasus. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

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C. maritima may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blanching (horticulture)</span>

Blanching is a technique used in vegetable growing. Young shoots of a plant are covered to exclude light to prevent photosynthesis and the production of chlorophyll, and thus remain pale in color. Different methods used include covering with soil or with solid materials such as board or terracotta pots, or growing the crop indoors in darkened conditions. Blanched vegetables generally tend to have a more delicate flavor and texture compared to those that are not blanched, but blanching can also cause the vegetables to be lower in vitamin A.

<i>Spergularia media</i> Species of flowering plant in the pink family Caryophyllaceae

Spergularia media is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names media sandspurry and greater sea-spurrey. It is native to Eurasia and the Mediterranean, where it grows in many types of habitat, including disturbed areas, including places with saline substrates, such as salt marshes and beaches. It is known in many other parts of the world as an introduced species and a common roadside weed. In North America it is a "highway halophyte", often springing up at the margins of roads that are heavily salted in the winter.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wingletang Down (St Agnes)</span>

Wingletang Down is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on the southern side of the island of St Agnes in the Isles of Scilly, England, UK, which is noted for its biological characteristics. The site is managed by the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust and is within the Isles of Scilly Heritage Coast and the Isles of Scilly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is the only site in Great Britain and Ireland for the small fern, least adder's–tongue. As of 11 September 2009 the SSSI was considered to be in ″unconditional recovering″ condition because European gorse and bramble are at unacceptable levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polruan to Polperro</span>

Polruan to Polperro is a coastal Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in south-east Cornwall, England, UK, noted for its biological interest. It contains a wide variety of plant species and is a site for populations of breeding birds.

<i>Suaeda maritima</i> Species of flowering plant in the amaranth family Amaranthaceae

Suaeda maritima is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae known by the common names herbaceous seepweed and annual seablite.

<i>Iris spuria <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> maritima</i> Subspecies of flowering plant

Iris spuria subsp. maritima is a species of the genus Iris, part of a subgenus series known as Iris subg. Limniris and in the series Iris ser. Spuriae. It is a subspecies of Iris spuria, a beardless, rhizomatous perennial plant, from coastal regions Europe and north Africa with deep blue-violet flowers.

References

  1. 1 2 Gilman, D. C.; Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). "Sea-kale"  . New International Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.
  2. ↑ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN   978-1405332965.
  3. 1 2 3 Marhold, K. (2006). "Details for: Crambe maritima". The Euro+Med PlantBase. Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  4. ↑ Marhold, K. (2006). "Details for: Crambe hispanica". The Euro+Med PlantBase. Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  5. ↑ "Crambe". Anthos (in Spanish). Fundación Biodiversidad; Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente; and the Real Jardín Botánico. 2 March 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  6. ↑ Gómez Campo, C. (2003). "71. Crambe L." (PDF). Flora iberica (in Spanish). Vol. 4. Madrid: Real Jardín Botánico. pp. 429–431.
  7. ↑ "Crambe maritima L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanical Garden Kew. 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  8. ↑ Danin, Avinoam; Fragman-Sapir, Ori (2020). "Search Crambe". Flora of Israel Online. Jerusalem Botanical Gardens. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  9. ↑ "Crambe hispanica L." Flora Syria On Line. FloraSyria. 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  10. ↑ Hackney, P. 1992. Stewart' and Corry's Flora of the North-east of Ireland. Third edition. Institute of Irish Studies and Queen's University of Belfast. ISBN   0 85389 446 9 (HB)
  11. ↑ Scannell, M. J. P. and Synnott, D. M. 1972. Census Catalogue of the Flora of Ireland. Dublin, Published by the Stationery Office
  12. ↑ "Crambe maritima". Archived from the original on 12 September 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  13. ↑ "Sea kale Crambe maritima". Plant & Fungi Species. Plantlife. 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  14. ↑ Holtung, Hege Therese (8 February 2016). "Viltvoksende øy-vekster kan løse matproblemer" [Wild-growing island crops could solve food problems]. NRK (in Norwegian). Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  15. ↑ Webb, D. A.; Parnell, J.; Doogue, D. (1996). An Irish Flora. Dundalk: Dundalgan Press. ISBN   0-85221-131-7.
  16. 1 2 3 Maher, John (1820) [1812]. "III. On the Cultivation of the Crambe Maritima of Linné, or Sea Kale". Transactions of the Horticultural Society of London. 1 (3rd ed.): 13–20. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  17. ↑ Pigott, C. D. (2000). British Plant Communities . Vol. 5 – Maritime Communities and Vegetation of Open Habitats. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 128–129. ISBN   0-521-64476-3.
  18. ↑ "Baltic Crambe maritima communities". EUNIS habitat classification 2012 amended 2019. European Environment Agency, European Union. 22 April 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  19. ↑ Packham, John R.; Willis, Arthur John (1997). Ecology of Dunes, Salt Marsh and Shingle. Cambridge: Springer. p. 163. ISBN   0-412-57980-4.
  20. 1 2 Curtis, William (1799). Directions for cultivating the Crambe Maritima: or sea Kale, for the use of the table. London: Stephen Couchman. pp. 1–18.
  21. ↑ Jefferson, Thomas. "Garden Book, 1766-1824, page 55, by Thomas Jefferson [electronic edition]". Thomas Jefferson Papers. Massachusetts Historical Society. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  22. 1 2 Mesure, Susie (23 March 2014). "Like seaweed? Like kale? You'll love sea kale!". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  23. ↑ Beeton, Isabella (1861). Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management. London: S. O. Beeton. p. 1150.
  24. ↑ Witham Fogg, H.G. (1966). Vegetables All the Year Round. London: The Garden Book Club. pp. 96–97. OCLC   561245570.
  25. ↑ "Zilte Zeekool".
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