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Useful Temperate Plants

Cakile maritima

Scop.

Brassicaceae

+ Synonyms

Brassica ovalis (Viv.) B.D.Jacks.

Bunias americana Raf.

Bunias cakile L.

Bunias littoralis Salisb.

Bunias ovalis Viv.

Cakile aegyptica (L.) Maire & Weiller

Cakile aegyptica Pignatti

Cakile baltica Jord. ex Pobed.

Cakile bauhinii Jord.

Cakile cakile (L.) H.Karst.

Cakile crenata Jord.

Cakile cyrenaica Spreng.

Cakile edentula Jord.

Cakile euxina Pobed.

Cakile hispanica Jord.

Cakile latifolia (Desf.) Poir.

Cakile littoralis Jord.

Cakile monosperma Lange

Cakile pinnatifida Stokes

Cakile serapionis Gaertn.

Cakile sinuatifolia Stokes

Crucifera cakile E.H.L.Krause

Isatis aegyptica L.

Isatis pinnata Forssk.

Rapistrum cakile (L.) Bergeret

Rapistrum cakile (L.) Crantz

Rapistrum maritimum (Scop.) Bergeret ex DC.

Common Name: Sea Rocket

No Image.

General Information

Cakile maritima is an annual plant with a prostrate or ascending, branched stem growing from a very long, slender taproot; it can grow 15 - 45cm tall[
17
Title
Flora of the British Isles.
Publication
 
Author
Clapham, Tutin and Warburg.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
1962
ISBN
-
Description
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

17
Title
Flora of the British Isles.
Publication
 
Author
Clapham, Tutin and Warburg.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
1962
ISBN
-
Description
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
,
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Range

Eurasia - mainly in coastal areas - Norway, south to Spain and east to the Caucasus, Iran. Israel, Syria; N. Africa - Macaronesia, Morocco to Egypt

Habitat

Sandy and shingly places all around the coast[
17
Title
Flora of the British Isles.
Publication
 
Author
Clapham, Tutin and Warburg.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
1962
ISBN
-
Description
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
HabitAnnual
Height0.30 m
PollinatorsBees, Flies, Beetles, Lepidoptera
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details


Prefers a light well-drained soil and a sunny position[
1
Title
RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Publication
 
Author
F. Chittendon.
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Year
1951
ISBN
-
Description
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
,
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Plants are easily grown in a garden situation and can self-sow if the ground is disturbed by hoeing etc[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
This species is closely related to Cakile edentula, which is native to N. America[
17
Title
Flora of the British Isles.
Publication
 
Author
Clapham, Tutin and Warburg.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
1962
ISBN
-
Description
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
].
The seed is often dispersed by floating in sea water[
17
Title
Flora of the British Isles.
Publication
 
Author
Clapham, Tutin and Warburg.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
1962
ISBN
-
Description
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
].

Edible Uses

Leaves, stems, flower buds and immature seedpods - raw or cooked. They are rich in vitamin C but have a very bitter taste[
4
Title
A Modern Herbal.
Publication
 
Author
Grieve.
Publisher
Penguin
Year
1984
ISBN
0-14-046-440-9
Description
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
,
66
Title
From Agar to Zenery.
Publication
 
Author
Freethy. R.
Publisher
The Crowood Press
Year
1985
ISBN
0-946284-51-2
Description
Very readable, giving details on plant uses based on the authors own experiences.
]. Used mainly as a flavouring[
132
Title
Fruits of the Earth.
Publication
 
Author
Bianchini. F., Corbetta. F. and Pistoia. M.
Publisher
 
Year
 
ISBN
 
Description
Lovely pictures, a very readable book.
]. Very young leaves can be added to salads whilst older leaves can be mixed with milder tasting leaves and used as a potherb[
183
Title
Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications
Year
1990
ISBN
0-9628087-0-9
Description
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
,
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].

Root - dried and ground into a powder, then mixed with cereal flours and used to make bread[
2
Title
Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
Publication
 
Author
Hedrick. U. P.
Publisher
Dover Publications
Year
1972
ISBN
0-486-20459-6
Description
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
]. A famine food, it is only used in times of scarcity[
183
Title
Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications
Year
1990
ISBN
0-9628087-0-9
Description
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
].

The seed contains a fatty oil[
74
Title
Flora of the USSR.
Publication
 
Author
Komarov. V. L.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Israel Program for Scientific Translation
Year
1968
ISBN
-
Description
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. No more details are given.

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow late spring or early autumn in situ. Germination is usually rapid.
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Cakile+maritima>

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