Winter-cress (Barbarea vulgaris) is
commonly found growing alongside streams and in ditches in much of Britain, but
is rarer in Scotland. It prefers damp environments but will also grow as a
wayside plant and in hedgerows. It is also known as landcress to distinguish it
from watercress.
Winter-cress sends up erect branching stems
to a maximum height of 36 inches (90 centimetres). The leaves are shiny, the
lower ones being deeply lobed and the upper ones grasping the stem.
The small yellow flowers, which appear from
May to August, grow in dense clusters that elongate as the stem grows and
seed-pods form. The seed-pods are long and narrow, being held away from the
stem on short stalks.
The leaves of winter-cress are edible and
are a good source of vitamin C. However, the taste is on the bitter side and,
in Britain at least, most people prefer to eat cultivated watercress instead.
The botanical name “Barbarea” is in honour
of St Barbara. This is partly because the plant is still green and prominent on
4th December, which is St Barbara’s Day. However, the name may also
derive from the fact that winter-cress leaves provide a measure of relief to
sufferers of wounds caused by explosions, as might be encountered by miners and
quarrymen, of whom St Barbara is the patron saint.
© John Welford
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