Cardamina hirsuta
Cardamine hérissée
Hairy Bittercress
Additional information
| Plant family | |
|---|---|
| Area | Provence Verte |
| Flower colour | white |
| Flower size | 1-2 mm |
| Flowering months | March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October |
| Leaf type | Elliptic, Reniform |
| Height | 10-15 cm |
Description
Prefers moist, shady conditions. It is considered by most gardeners to be a pest. The seed pods extend above the flowers; when they ripen, the grains are projected and hence invasive.
Flowers
The 4 petalled flowers are very small and white.
Leaves
Reniform kidney-shaped leaf, Elliptic oval leaf. Rosette: a rosette of leaves with opposite, rounded to diamond-shaped leaflets, quite varied, end leaflet larger.
Fruits Seeds
Silique: two fused carpels, which burst open when touched.
Edible
Leaves and flowers: do not pick in fields or near streams where sheep have been grazing, they may be infected with pathogenic organisms like liver fluke.
Medical
The plant is rich in Vitamins A & C, contains calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. It has stimulating, diuretic and expectorant properties.
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