Scurvy Grass

Cochlearia officinalis

COMMON NAMES

• Scurvy Grass
• Scurvy Weed
• Spoonwort

Scurvy grass - a biennial herb growing 4-12 inches high. Its curving or upright stems bear fleshy, dark green, long-stalked leaves that are oval to heart-shaped. Small white flowers of scurvy grass (June-August) with four petals that form a cross are borne in terminal clusters.

A plant of the seashore and salt marsh, scurvy grass proved a good friend to seafarers. In the old days, scurvy - a devastating disease caused by a prolonged deficiency of vitamin C - was a scourge of sailors, who might pass months at sea without fresh fruits or vegetables. But if a captain stowed a supply of scurvy grass, as the 18th-century English explorer Capt. James Cook did, the sailors were safe, for the herb is rich in that vital nutrient.

Perhaps because scurvy grass flourishes in salty soils, some herbalists thought scurvy grass would dissolve the "salts" of gout and rheumatism. Because it contains tannin, scurvy grass is astringent and can be used to stanch a nosebleed or other bleeding wound. The plant has also been classified as a diuretic, recommended for use in the treatment of kidney stones and dropsy (edema, or accumulation of fluids in the body). Herbalists claim, too, that the juice and leaves clear up skin blemishes.

Wild-food enthusiasts use the young leaves and stems of scurvy grass as salad greens and a potherb, comparing the taste to that of the plant's relatives watercress and horseradish.

PARTS USED

Leaves, aerial parts.

USES

Besides having a high vitamin C content, scurvy grass has antiseptic and mild laxative actions. The young plant, which has a general detoxicant effect and contains a wide range of minerals, is taken as a spring tonic. Like watercress, scurvy grass has diuretic properties and is useful for any condition in which poor nutrition is a factor. Scurvy grass can be used in the form of a juice as an antiseptic mouthwash for canker sores, and can also be applied externally to spots and pimples.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Native to Europe and temperate regions of Asia and North America, but now rare, scurvy grass thrives in the salty soil of coastal areas and salt marshes. Scurvy grass is occasionally cultivated.

CONSTITUENTS

Scurvy grass contains: glucosilinates, a volatile oil, a bitter principle, tannin, vitamin C, and minerals.

COMMENTS