About Cochlearia danica L.
Cochlearia danica, commonly known as Danish scurvygrass, is a flowering plant that belongs to the genus Cochlearia in the Brassicaceae family. It is a typically salt-tolerant coastal plant, and it is now growing successfully along European roads and motorways, particularly under crash barriers in central road reservations. Its spread and success in these new areas are linked to two factors: it can survive the salt spread by road gritters during winter, and its small seeds are dispersed by cars traveling at high speed in fast lanes. The plant is rich in vitamin C, which is how it got its common name—sailors used to chew it to prevent scurvy. Its mauve flowers measure 4 to 5 millimeters in diameter.
