Barbarea australis explained

Barbarea australis, commonly known as native wintercress or riverbed wintercress, is a morphologically and ecologically typical Barbarea species with an unusual distribution: it is an endemic and threatened species from Tasmania.[1] The leaves have a large end-lobe and only few side lobes, much like the leaf-shape of Barbarea stricta and Barbarea orthoceras. With regard to defence chemicals (glucosinolates), it is similar to other members of the genus.[2]

Cultivation

Although the plant remains critically endangered in the wild, Native wintercress is available for home garden cultivation. All above-ground parts of the plant are edible, with the leaves tasting similar to rocket.[3]

Notes and References

  1. J. B. Kirkpatrick & Louise Gilfedder . 1998 . Conserving weedy natives: two Tasmanian endangered herbs in the Brassicaceae . . 23 . 5 . 466–473 . 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1998.tb00754.x.
  2. Niels Agerbirk & Karl Erik Olsen . 2011 . Isoferuloyl derivatives of five seed glucosinolates in the crucifer genus Barbarea . . 72 . 7 . 610–623 . 21354584 . 10.1016/j.phytochem.2011.01.034.
  3. https://tuckerbush.com.au/native-wintercress-barbarea-australis/ Native Wintercress - Tucker Bush edible Australian plants