The image, above, shows the full wavy bittercress plant(Cardamine flexuosa), in flower, a close-up of a young
plant and with a close-up of the leaves..
| Common Name: Wavy Bittercress |
| Scientific Name: Cardamine flexuosa |
| Other Names: wood bitter-cress, woodland bittercress |
| Family: Brassicaceae |
| Range: Much of Europe, including Britain, east through Asia to China and Japan. |
Physical Characteristics
Cardamine flexuosa is an herbaceous annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial plant, growing to 30cm (1 ft) by 15cm (6 in) in size with few short, erect stems. The leaves pinnate, mostly at the base, each with about 5 pairs of rounded leaflets. Flowers very small, white, 3 – 4 mm across with 6 stamens. Fruit of C. flexuosa generally do not overtop the flowers, a feature distinguishing it from Cardamine hirsuta. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from April to September, and the seeds ripen from May to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). The plant is self-fertile.
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| Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers |
 Edibility Rating: 2 
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 Known Hazards: None Known.
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Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Wavy Bittercress along with all the Wavy Bittercress containing recipes presented on this site, with 0 recipes in total.
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Wavy Bittercress as a major wild food ingredient.
Wavy Bittercress, Cardamine flexuosa, (also known as bittercress, wood bitter-cress and woodland bittercress) is a spring annual or biennial member of the Brassicaceae (mustard) family which is native to Europe and Asia. The plant germinates in early spring and remains green throughout the autumn months (if biennial it is green year round). It flowers from quite early in the Spring until the Autumn. The small white flowers are borne in a corymb on wiry green stems, soon followed by the seeds and often continuing to flower as the first seeds ripen. The seed are borne in siliquae which, as with many Brassica species, will burst explosively, often when touched, sending the seeds flying far from the parent plant.
Hairy bittercress likes moist shady places by streams and occasionally grows on cultivated ground. The leaves and roots are edible, with the leaves having a hot cress-like flavour. They are nice as a flavouring in salads, it is usually available all year round. Root can be eaten raw or cooked
The young leaves can be added sparingly to salads as a garnish. The flowers are also edible and can be used as a garnish.
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Wavy Bittercress as a major wild food ingredient.
Wavy Bittercress, Cardamine flexuosa, (also known as bittercress, wood bitter-cress and woodland bittercress) is a spring annual or biennial member of the Brassicaceae (mustard) family which is native to Europe and Asia. The plant germinates in early spring and remains green throughout the autumn months (if biennial it is green year round). It flowers from quite early in the Spring until the Autumn. The small white flowers are borne in a corymb on wiry green stems, soon followed by the seeds and often continuing to flower as the first seeds ripen. The seed are borne in siliquae which, as with many Brassica species, will burst explosively, often when touched, sending the seeds flying far from the parent plant.
Hairy bittercress likes moist shady places by streams and occasionally grows on cultivated ground. The leaves and roots are edible, with the leaves having a hot cress-like flavour. They are nice as a flavouring in salads, it is usually available all year round. Root can be eaten raw or cooked
The young leaves can be added sparingly to salads as a garnish. The flowers are also edible and can be used as a garnish.
References:
[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
The alphabetical list of all Wavy Bittercress recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 0 recipes in total:
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Page 1 of 1