Common scurvygrass (Cochlearia officinalis) is a plant that grows around the British Isles on cliffs, seashores and in salt marshes, but only rarely inland. Despite its name it is not a grass but a member of the cabbage family.
The plant is hairless, throwing up long-stalked fleshy leaves that are shaped like hearts or kidneys. The lower leaves form a loose rosette. The plant grows to 20 inches (50 centimetres) in height.
The small white or lilac flowers appear from May to August. The seed-pods are globe-shaped.
Although the “grass” part of the name is a misnomer, the “scurvy” part is very relevant. The leaves are an excellent source of vitamin C and therefore offer protection against scurvy, which was a disease that afflicted sailors in past centuries whose food consisted almost entirely of salt pork and dried biscuits. When ashore, sailors would gather large quantities of scurvygrass from the surrounding area.
The plant was also used by non-sailors, given that outbreaks of scurvy could occur anywhere when fresh fruit and vegetables were not available, especially in winter. People in the 17th century would take a glass of “scurvygrass water” every morning, and a more appetising variant was a beer called “scurvygrass ale”.
© John Welford
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