Cochlearia officinalis can be distinguished from cochlearia anglica by its leaves, which are flat or shallowly lobed at the base, rather than smoothly tapering.
Common name:
Common scurvygrass
Family:
Scientific name:
Cochlearia officinalis
Main flower color:
Range:
Most of the UK; least common in central and southeast England
Height:
Up to 50 cm
Habitat:
Coastal cliffs and saltmarsh, old walls, inland mountains
Flowers:
White, with four clawed petals up to 8 mm wide above four reddish-green sepals. Six stamens and a central pistil
Fruit:
Inflated, round to egg-shaped, with two cylinders, and a short, residual style at the the tip
Leaves:
Heart or kidney shaped, on long stalks, in a basal rosette, and a few stalkless, clasping, fleshy, arrow-shaped leaves along the stem
Season:
April to October
Rarity:
★★★★★
