Capsella bursa-pastoris
| Capsella bursa-pastoris | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 0.3' |
| Blooms: | Mid Winter-Early Winter |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Capsella bursa-pastoris (common name: shepherd's purse)
Propagation: Seed - sow in situ February to May. Seed can also be sown as late as mid autumn[1]. A common weed of disturbed ground, the plant does not normally need any help to maintain itself[K].
Cultivation: Plants flourish in most soils[2]. They will grow even in the poorest of soils, though in such a situation the plants might only reach a few centimetres tall before they flower and set seed[3]. In rich soils plants will take longer to go to seed and will grow up to 60cm tall[3].
Shepherd's purse is a very common garden weed that can spread freely in cultivated ground. It is usually in flower and producing seed in all months of the year. This species is a prime example of how a plant can be viewed as an annoying weed in some areas of the world whilst in others it is actually cultivated for its wide range of uses[3][4]. The plant is extensively cultivated in some areas of the world as a cabbage-flavoured spring greens[5], in Japan it is one of the essential ingredients of a ceremonial rice and barley gruel that is eaten on January 7th[4]. The leaves grow rather larger under cultivation, they can be harvested about a month after sowing and can be treated as a cut and come again crop[1]. They do run to seed fairly rapidly, however, especially in hot dry weather or when in poor soils[1][K].
A member of the cabbage family, it is a host plant for many diseases of Brassicas[6].
Birds are very fond of the seeds of shepherd's purse[7].
Range: A virtually cosmopolitan plant, found in most regions of the world including Britain.
Habitat: Arable land, gardens, waste places etc, it is a common weed of cultivated soil[8][2].
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[9][3][10][11][12]. The young leaves, used before the plant comes into flower, make a fine addition to salads[8]. The leaves are a cress and cabbage substitute[13], becoming peppery with age[14]. Leaves are usually available all year round, though they can also be dried for later use[13]. The leaves contain about 2.9% protein, 0.2% fat, 3.4% carbohydrate, 1% ash. They are rich in iron, calcium and vitamin C[15]. A zero moisture basis analysis is available[16].
The young flowering shoots can be eaten raw or cooked[17]. They are rather thin and fiddly but the taste is quite acceptable. They can be available at most times of the year.
Seed - raw or cooked[12][14]. It can be ground into a meal and used in soups etc[18][4]. It is very fiddly to harvest and utilize, the seed is very small[19].
The seed contains 35% of a fatty oil[15]. This oil can be extracted and is edible[20].
The seedpods can be used as a peppery seasoning for soups and stews[4].
The fresh or dried root is a ginger substitute[19][14][4].
Medicinal: Shepherd's purse is little used in herbalism, though it is a commonly used domestic remedy, being especially efficacious in the treatment of both internal and external bleeding, diarrhoea etc[3][21].
A tea made from the whole plant is antiscorbutic, astringent, diuretic, emmenagogue, haemostatic, hypotensive, oxytocic, stimulant, vasoconstrictor, vasodilator and vulnerary[3][22][8][23][24][25][26][27][14][28][21]. A tea made from the dried herb is considered to be a sovereign remedy against haemorrhages of all kinds - the stomach, the lungs, the uterus and more especially the kidneys[3][21]. The plant can be used fresh or dried, for drying it is harvested in the summer[8]. The dried herb quickly loses its effectiveness and should not be stored for more than a year[8].
Clinical trials on the effectiveness of this plant as a wound herb have been inconclusive[29]. It appears that either it varies considerably in its effectiveness from batch to batch, or perhaps a white fungus that is often found on the plant contains the medically active properties[29].
The plant has been ranked 7th amongst 250 potential anti-fertility plants in China[16]. It has proven uterine-contracting properties and is traditionally used during childbirth[21].
The plant is a folk remedy for cancer - it contains fumaric acid which has markedly reduced growth and viability of Ehrlich tumour in mice[16].
A homeopathic remedy is made from the fresh plant[3]. It is used in the treatment of nose bleeds and urinary calculus[22].
Usage: The seed, when placed in water, attracts mosquitoes. It has a gummy substance that binds the insects mouth to the seed[7]. The seed also releases a substance toxic to the larvae. ½ kilo of seed is said to be able to kill 10 million larvae[14].
Plants can be grown on salty or marshy land in order to reclaim it by absorbing the salt and 'sweetening' the soil[7].
Pollinators: Self
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Mid Winter-Early Winter
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Thlaspi bursa-pastoris.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Larkcom, Joy. Oriental Vegetables. John Murray, 1991.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Stuart, Malcolm. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Orbis Publishing, 1979.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Allardice, Pamela. A-Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers, 1993.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ Larkcom, Joy. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn, 1980.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Sweet, Muriel. Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West. Naturegraph Co, 1962.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Loewenfeld, Claire and Philippa Back. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Read, Bernard. Famine Foods Listed in the Chiu Huang Pen Ts'ao. Taipei Southern Materials Centre, 1977.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Vegetables. Macmillan Reference Books, 1995.
- ↑ Kavasch, Barrie. Native Harvests. Vintage Books, 1979.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Harrington, Harold. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press, 1967.
- ↑ Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Triska, Jan. Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn, 1975.
- ↑ Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Revolutionary Health Committee of Hunan Province. A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press.
- ↑ Mills, Simon. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
- ↑ Yeung, Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, 1985.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Phillips, Roger. Herbs. Pan Books, 1990.