Wavy Bittercress

Cardamine flexuosa

Plant Data

Order:

Brassicales

Family:

Brassicaceae (Cabbage)

Type:

Flower

Flowering Months:

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Flower:

White, 4 petals

Tiny and forming clusters at the top. 4 white petals with 6 yellow stamens. Counting the number of stamens is perhaps the most reliable way to distinguish this flower from the almost identical Hairy Bittercress which has 4 yellow stamens.

Fruit:

Long, thin, cylindrical seed pods which usually are lower than the topmost flowers. This is useful to know when trying to distinguish this flower from Hairy Bittercress which has seed pods that normally overtop the flowers.

Leaves:

The basal rosette has alternate leaves. Stem leaves are compound with 3-6 pairs of leaflets and a terminal leaflet. Leaflets are wavy edged. The upright main stem upon which the leaves emerge from are likely to be zigzagged or wavy after which the plant is named.

Maximum Size:

50 centimetres tall

Foraging Notes:

The entire plant is edible raw and can be used in salads. Tastes peppery, or similar to cress that you would purchase at your local supermarket.
Never consume a wild plant unless you are 100% certain that it is safe to eat and you know that you have identified it correctly.

Aroma:

The leaves are aromatic when bruised.

Other Names:

Common Bittercress, Flick Weed, Greater Bittercress, Wavy-leaved Bittercress, Wood Bittercress, Woodland Bittercress.

Frequency (UK):

Abundant

Habitats:

Gardens, riverbanks, riversides, swamps, waterside, woodland.