Crambe kotschyana

Family: Brassicaceae

What it is like

A cabbage family herb. It is a stout erect plant. It keeps growing from year to year. It is 60-180 cm high. The leaves are large and heart shaped or kidney shaped. The leaves near the base are 20-40 cm wide. They are wavy along the edge and have teeth. They have long stalks. The upper leaves are fewer and smaller. The flowers are white and in loose clusters. The flowers are 7-10 mm across. The petals have a wedge shaped base. The fruit has a stalk like base. It is round and one seeded.

There are about 20 Crambe species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. In the Himalayas it grows between 2,100-4,300 m altitude. It grows on rocky slopes.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Afghanistan, Central Asia, China, Himalayas, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Middle East, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Tibet, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, SW Asia

How it is used for food

The leaves and roots are eaten as a vegetable.

Edible parts

Leaves, root, vegetable

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Liang jie qi

Synonyms

Crambe cordifolia Steven subsp. kotschyana (Boissier) Jafri; Crambe cordifolia var. kotschyana (Boissier) O. E. Schulz.;