Barbarea vulgaris W.T. Aiton
Winter cress, wintercress, garden yellowrocket, bittercress, herb barbara, rocketcress, yellow rocketcress, winter rocket, wound rocket, yellow rocket
Kingdom Plantae Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom Tracheobionta Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division Magnoliophyta Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class Magnoliopsida Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass Rosidae Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order Brassicales Mustard, cabbage, caper, papaya, nasturtiums, many others; most produce mustard oil
Family Brassicaceae Mustards, cabbages
Genus Barbarea Named after St. Barbara and once generally known as her herb, or the Herba Sanctae Barbarae . According to legend, St. Barbara was beheaded by her own father, a wealthy heathen named Dioscorus, for expressing a belief in Christ
Species vulgaris Common
About plant names...
This native of Europe has become naturalized and widespread in North America after
its introduction here.
Identification: Winter cress is common sight in disturbed
fields, such as borders of croplands. It flowers early, producing dense clusters of bright yellow flowers. Plants reach
heights of 8-32" (20-81 cm). Stems are often branched, and green, often tinged with purple. Flowers are about ¼" (6.3 mm) in diameter. Leaves near the base of the plant are deeply lobed, with the largest
portion of the leaf at the tip, up to 8" (20 cm) long. Leaves above the base are small and inconspicuous.
Edibility: Young leaves may be eaten raw in salads. Older
leaves become increasingly bitter, requiring boiling in several changes of water. By the time
flower buds appear, the leaves are too bitter to eat, but the buds may be boiled for five minutes
in two changes of water.
Online References:
Barbarea vulgaris on Ontario Wildflowers
Barbarea vulgaris on Missouriplants.com
Barbarea vulgaris on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants
Barbarea vulgaris on
Barbarea vulgaris on Wikipedia
Barbarea vulgaris on the USDA Plants Database
Barbarea vulgaris on spes.vt.edu
Barbarea vulgaris on CalPhotos
References:
Peterson, Lee Allen, Peterson Field Guides: Edible Wild Plants of Eastern/Central North America , Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977 , p. 64
5/2/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts ≈ 4 × 6" (10 × 14 cm)
5/9/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts ≈ 3½ × 4" (9.2 × 10 cm)
5/5/2016 · Wildflower Trail, Beaver Brook C, Hollis, New Hampshire
5/25/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts ≈ 3 × 2½" (7.4 × 6.6 cm)
5/25/2016 · Andres Art Institute, Big Bear M, Brookline, New Hampshire
5/11/2013 · Townsend Wildlife Management Area, Townsend, Massachusetts ≈ 6 × 3½" (14 × 9.6 cm)
5/5/2016 · Wildflower Trail, Beaver Brook C, Hollis, New Hampshire
5/2/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts ≈ 9 × 6" (22 × 14 cm)
Older scientific names
Barbarea arcuata (Opiz ex J. Presl & C. Presl) Rchb.
Barbarea stricta auct. non Andrz.
Barbarea vulgaris W.T. Aiton var. arcuata (Opiz ex J. Presl & C. Presl) Fr.
Barbarea vulgaris W.T. Aiton var. brachycarpa Rouy & Foucaud
Barbarea vulgaris W.T. Aiton var. longisiliquosa Carion
Barbarea vulgaris W.T. Aiton var. sylvestris Fr.
Campe barbarea (L.) W. Wight ex Piper
Campe stricta auct. non (Andrz.) W. Wight ex Piper
Barbarea vulgaris description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.
© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.
5/16/2016 · Oak Hill, Littleton, Massachusetts
5/14/2008 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts ≈ 2½ × 3½" (7.0 × 9.1 cm) ID is uncertain
5/27/2014 · Dunstable Rural Land Trust, Dunstable, Massachusetts ≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm)
5/9/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts ≈ 6 × 9" (14 × 22 cm)
5/5/2016 · Wildflower Trail, Beaver Brook C, Hollis, New Hampshire
5/27/2014 · Dunstable Rural Land Trust, Dunstable, Massachusetts ≈ 4 × 5" (10 × 13 cm)
5/27/2014 · Dunstable Rural Land Trust, Dunstable, Massachusetts ≈ 5 × 5" (12 × 13 cm)
5/17/2013 · Gibbet Hill, Groton, Massachusetts ≈ 6 × 8" (15 × 19 cm)
5/27/2014 · Dunstable Rural Land Trust, Dunstable, Massachusetts ≈ 5 × 8" (13 × 20 cm)
5/5/2016 · Wildflower Trail, Beaver Brook C, Hollis, New Hampshire
5/11/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts ≈ 3 × 2' (94 × 71 cm) ID is uncertain
Range:
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