What is cardamine?

Cardamine is a diverse genus of flowering plants in the mustard family Brassicaceae. In this family there are more than 150 known species that have a wide range of forms and appear in all areas of the world, with the exception of Antarctica. Some species are cultivated decoratively and are available from kindergartens and garden supplies. Others are considered invasive weeds and can become quite an inconvenience in the garden because they are durable and take a wide range of conditions. The stem usually develops and branches the plant mature. The leaves may vary in size and shape. Small clusters of white flowers develop on the tops of the stems, which eventually ripen into long seeds. Like many plants that produce pods, even cardamine has developed pods designed to spread the plant as effectively as possible by opening and distraction of seeds with one time, they are fully mature.

Some decorative species have variedLeaves, unusually large flowers and other features that make them visually interesting. They grow best in partial to full shadow in wet gardens and can spread if they like the conditions where they are grown. Cardamine types can be known with common names such as Shotweed, Bittercress, Pepperweed and Snapweed, all the names that need to look for plants in kindergarten.

species more often identified as weeds tend to be smaller and more permanent than ornamental species, without attractive physical properties that make their cousins ​​more visually interesting. These plants can be difficult to eradicate from the garden, if the gardeners are not very attentive about weeds, because every time the semi -pods open, they distract the seeds in the garden and ensure that the new weed crop fits.

Some types of cardamine have a history of use as medicinal or food plants. From a medical point of view there were someTypes used to treat gastrointestinal conditions, although research has not proposed that any species contains medically useful compounds. The name of this family is a reference to relatives grown for use as spices and types safe to eat have a truly sharp, pepper taste. The other members of the mustard family are larger and are therefore a better choice for cultivation as food plants and cardamine is rarely perceived as a source of food.