Crambe cordifolia, the greater sea-kale,[1] colewort or heartleaf crambe ( syn. Crambe glabrata DC.), is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, native to the Caucasus. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[2]

Crambe cordifolia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Crambe
Species:
C. cordifolia
Binomial name
Crambe cordifolia

Epithet

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The Latin specific epithet cordifolia, meaning "heart-shaped", refers to the leaves.[3]

Description

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Growing to 2.5 m (8 ft) tall by 1.5 m (5 ft) broad, it is a substantial clump-forming herbaceous perennial with kidney-shaped dark green leaves, 35 cm (14 in) or more in length, which die down in mid- to late summer.[4] It is cultivated in gardens for its broad crinkled foliage and spectacular multi-branched inflorescences of many small fragrant white, cruciform (cross-shaped) flowers, reaching up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) high and appearing in early summer. Under droughty conditions the foliage depreciates. The plant is tap-rooted and resents disturbance.

References

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  1. ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  2. ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Crambe cordifolia". Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  3. ^ Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. p. 224. ISBN 9781845337315.
  4. ^ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
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