Cardamine hirsuta

Cardamine hirsuta, commonly called hairy bittercress, popping cress, common bittercress, hoary bittercress, hairy wood-cress, small bittercress, pepperweed, shotweed, or snapweed, is an annual or biennial species of plant in the family Brassicaceae, and is edible as a salad green. It is common in moist areas around the world.

Description

A cabbage family herb. It is an annual or perennial plant. It forms a rosette or ring of leaves. It grows to a height of 50 cm and spreads to 30 cm. The stem is erect and the leaves are green and sword shaped. They usually have 3-7 pairs of leaflets. The flowers are pale mauve and small. They have 4 petals. They occur in clusters at the ends of branches. The fruit are 15-25 mm long pods, which are narrow and erect. They are about 1 mm thick. The seed are brown and with a smooth coat. They are about 1 mm long.

Edible Uses

The leaves and flowers can be eaten raw or cooked. They have a hot, cress-like flavour and are mainly used as a garnish or flavouring in salads, though they are also sometimes used as a potherb. Because the plant germinates most freely in autumn, fresh leaves are usually available throughout winter.

Traditional Uses

The leaves are peppery. The young leaves and flowers can be used in salads. They can also be cooked like spinach. The young roots are also eaten raw with vinegar and soy sauce.

Medicinal Uses

None known.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It does best in humus rich, damp soils. It is frost resistant. It is drought tender. It grows in shady places. It grows in temperate and tropical zones. It grows on mountain slopes, roadsides, fields, clearings, wastelands, damp places, grassy areas; near sea level to 3000 m altitude in China. In Haiti it grows at about 1500 m. In Argentina it grows up to 2,000 m above sea level. Tasmania Herbarium.

Where It Grows

Africa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Balkans, Brazil, Britain, Bulgaria, Caucasus, Central Asia, Chile, China, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Europe*, Falklands, Finland, Georgia, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Laos, Libya, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mediterranean, Mexico, Middle East, Myanmar, New Guinea, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Scandinavia, SE Asia, Sicily, Sikkim, South America, Sri Lanka, St Helena, Tasmania, Thailand, Tibet, Turkey, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uruguay, USA, Vietnam, West Africa, SW Asia, S Africa, North and South America, West Indies, Zambia,

Cultivation

Prefers a moist humus rich soil in shade or semi-shade but it succeeds in most soils and positions. A common garden weed, it can be in flower all year round if the weather is mild. It will usually self-sow very freely in cultivated soil and is found especially in pot-grown plants.

Propagation

Sow seed in spring or autumn directly in situ. This species needs very little encouragement and will readily self-sow, sometimes too freely.

Other Uses

The tiny flowers attract a number of early butterflies, including the spring azure (Celastrina ladon) and falcate orange-tip (Anthocharis midea) in the United States.

Other Information

Leaves are sold in local markets.

Notes

There are about 160 Cardamine species. They are mostly in damp places in temperate regions.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Aruculicedda sarvaggia, Chantruk mana, Chantruk-maan, Common bittercress, Goj ao, Hairy wood cress, Kosanini, Lamb's cress, Mastuerzo cimarron, Monnyin, Oram-petsik, Serampeti, Serampidi, Splitting Jenny, Sui mi qi, Tosanini vu, Tsitsmat'ura, Veluri, Vlaknesta gorva, Wang ye gai, Yangs-chung

References (63)

• Ambasta S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 104 (var. sylvatica)
• Angami, A., et al, 2006, Status and potential of wild edible plants of Arunachal Pradesh. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge 5(4) October 2006, pp 541-550
• Bianchini, F., Corbetta, F., and Pistoia, M., 1975, Fruits of the Earth. Cassell. p 72
• Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 82
• Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 213

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