Du xing cai
Lepidium apetalum

Family: Brassicaceae

What it is like

A cabbage family herb. It can grow for one or two years. It grows 30 cm high. It has many branches. The lower leaves near the base are divided in short narrow lobes. They are 3-5 cm long by 1 cm wide. The upper leaves are narrow. The flowers are in groups or 20-30. The flowers are small. They have almost no petals.

There are about 150 Lepidium species.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical to temperate plant. In Yunnan. In Sichuan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Central Asia, China, Himalayas, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Siberia

How it is used for food

The leaves are cooked in water and eaten. The young roots are eaten fresh.

Edible parts

Leaves, flowers, root

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Bashky, Burchan, Desi halyun, Haleem, Hanon, Harf, Jangli khoob kalan, Lala

Synonyms

Crucifera apetala (Willd.) E. H. L. Krause; Lepidium chitungense Jacot Guill.; Lepidium incisum Roth.; Lepidium micranthum Ledeb.; Thlaspi apetalum (Willd.) Poir.;