Hairy bittercress
Cardamine trichocarpa
Family: Brassicaceae
What it is like
A herb. It can be erect or curving upwards. It grows 40 cm tall. It grows each year from seeds. The leaves are alternate. They are oblong and 15 cm long. They are compound with 3-11 leaflets and one at the end. The leaflets are oval and 5 cm long. The flowering shoots are at the top with many flowers. They are greenish. The fruit is a narrow pod 2.5 cm long by 1.5 mm wide. The seeds are oblong and 1.5 mm long by 1 mm wide.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in moist places in mountainous areas between 700-3,100 m above sea level. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 1,200-1,800 mm.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo, East Africa, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa
How it is used for food
The leaves are wilted, chopped, boiled and eaten as a vegetable.
A minor vegetable of local importance in mountain areas.
Edible parts
Vegetable, leaves
How it is grown
The leaves are collected during the early rains.
Its other names
Local names
Kineteshojun, Kisegeju, Okoy