Plant Cochlearia officinalis of the cabbage
family, growing on salt marshes and banks by
the sea. Shoots may grow low, or more erect
up to 50 cm/2.6 ft, with rather fleshy
heart-shaped leaves; flowers are white or
mauve and four-petalled. The edible,
sharp-tasting leaves are a good source of
vitamin C and were formerly eaten by sailors
as a cure for scurvy.