Crambe cordifolia
Crambe cordifolia, the greater sea-kale,[1] colewort or heartleaf crambe ( syn. Crambe glabrata DC.), is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, native to the Caucasus. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[2]
| Crambe cordifolia | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Brassicales |
| Family: | Brassicaceae |
| Genus: | Crambe |
| Species: | C. cordifolia |
| Binomial name | |
| Crambe cordifolia | |
Epithet
The Latin specific epithet cordifolia, meaning "heart-shaped", refers to the leaves.[3]
Description
Growing to 2.5 m (8 ft) tall by 1.5 m (5 ft) broad, it is a substantial clump-forming herbaceous perennial with kidney-shaped dark green leaves, 35 cm (14 in) or more in length, which die down in mid- to late summer.[4] It is cultivated in gardens for its broad crinkled foliage and spectacular multi-branched inflorescences of many small fragrant white, cruciform (cross-shaped) flowers, reaching up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) high and appearing in early summer. Under droughty conditions the foliage depreciates. The plant is tap-rooted and resents disturbance.
References
- BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- "RHS Plant Selector - Crambe cordifolia". Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. p. 224. ISBN 9781845337315.
- RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
- Alfred Pink. Gardening for the Million.