Skip to main content

Lepidium draba

L.

Tall witetop, Hoary cress, Whitlow pepperwort

iNaturalist· cc-by

(c) joy russell, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by joy russell

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

(c) riverwalker232, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

iNaturalist· cc-by

(c) Conrad Altmann, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Conrad Altmann

Lepidium draba, also known as whitetop, hoary cress, or Thanet cress, is a rhizomatous perennial flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is native to western Asia and southeastern Europe and has been widely introduced elsewhere.

Description

A cabbage family herb. It keeps growing from year to year. The leaves are oblong and pale grey-green. They are 3-10 cm long by 1-4 cm wide. They have small teeth and curved spines. The flowers are small and white in dense clusters.

Edible Uses

The leaves are eaten raw in salads or cooked, and are fried with eggs. The seeds are also edible. The plant is sold in local markets.

Traditional Uses

Leaves are used in salads. The plant is cooked and eaten. They are fried with eggs.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 2,600 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Africa, Argentina, Armenia, Asia, Australia, Britain, Canada, Caucasus, Chile, Europe, India, Ireland, Italy, Mediterranean, Mexico, New Zealand, North America, Pakistan, Sicily, South Africa, South America, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, Uruguay, USA,

Cultivation

It can spread by seeds or rhizomes.

Other Information

It is sold in local markets.

Synonyms

Cardaria draba (L.) Desv.

Also Known As

Bashka, Dadhwal, Ghora wal, Ghurghwast, Khruk, Kineber, Kinevre, Kiniberk, Kinnibre, Koori sana, Paron banjar, Pepper cress, Qineber, Qunebark, Senna, Suchi senna, Thanetweed, Xardal, Xerdil

References (14)

  • Demir, I. & Ayaz, N., 2022, Wild edible plants contributing to the traditional foods of Mardin (Turkey) Province. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol 21(3), July 2022, pp 569-582
  • Ertug, F, Yenen Bitkiler. Resimli Türkiye Florası -I- Flora of Turkey - Ethnobotany supplement
  • Farooq, S., et al, 2012, Ethnobotanical Studies of the Flora of Tehsil Birmal in South Waziristan Agency, Pakistan. Pak. J. Weed Sci. Res. 18(3): 277-291
  • Irving, M., 2009, The Forager Handbook, A Guide to the Edible Plants of Britain. Ebury Press p 93
  • Kaya, O. M., et al, 2020, An ethnobotanical research in Sanhurfa central district and attached Villages (Turkey). Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. Vol. 19(1) pp 7-23
Show all 14 references
  • Khalid, N., et al, 2023, Wild food plants gathered by four cultural groups in North Waziristan, Pakistan. Genet Resour Crop Evol. 70:1243–1276
  • Majeed, M., et al, 2021, Gathered Wild Food Plants among Diverse Religious Groups in Jhelum District, Punjab, Pakistan. Foods 2021, 10, 594.
  • Nanagulyan, S., et al, 2020, Wild plants and fungi sold in the markets of Yerevan (Armenia). Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 16:26
  • Pasta, S., et al, 2020, An Updated Checklist of the Sicilian Native Edible Plants: Preserving the Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Century-Old Agro-Pastoral Landscapes. Frontiers in Plant Science. Volume 11|Article 388
  • Sulamain, N., et al, 2023, The Importance of Becoming Tamed: Wild Food Plants as Possible Novel Crops in Selected Food-Insecure Regions. Horticulturae 2023,9,171.
  • Wiersema, J. H. & Leon, B., 2013, World Economic Plants. A Standard Reference CRC Press. 2nd Ed. p 396
  • World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
  • Yesil, Y., et al, 2019, Wild edible plants in Yeşilli (Mardin-Turkey), a multicultural area. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2019) 15:52
  • Yesil, Y., et al, 2019, Traditional knowledge of wild edible plants in Hasankeyf (Batman Province, Turkey). Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae. 88(3):3633

More from Brassicaceae