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Yellow rocket bittercress

Barbarea vulgaris

Photo by drP
Published on Project Noah
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37.4048, -77.7037

Field Notes

Description:

A member of the mustard family. This herbaceous wildflower is an introduced species that is widely distributed across the United States. The clusters of flowers at the ends of the stems are larger than in most similar-appearing species.

Habitat:

As the field guides say, this is a plant of "roadsides and waste places."

Reference Links:

Barbarea vulgaris, Name Search Results | USDA PLANTS

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (5)
drP
Thanks for the info. It's good to hear from someone who's been there. I don't usually taste new plants unless I'm with someone who knows that plant.
chesterbperry
I think even more important is the distinction between palatable and edible. True to it's name bittercress' flavor provides sufficient deterrence to anyone eating enough to bring them any harm. I am constantly curious about the flavor of plants, and will sample anything I know to have no toxicity.
drP
I'm not an expert on edible plants, but this is what I know. The basal leaves are supposed to be edible if you catch them early enough. The unopened flower heads and open flowers are supposed to be edible. I wouldn't try it myself. First, the plant is also supposed to have some sort of anti-carcinogenic property--that's usually code for toxic to dividing cells. Second, the plant contains chemicals that make it unpalatable to insects. No idea what that would mean to a person.

Spotted for Missions

Wildlife of Central Virginia
Mission
Wildlife of Cosby High School
Photographed
PublishedMarch 1, 2013

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