Kerguelen cabbage
Kerguelen cabbage (
Pringlea antiscorbutica) is a
flowering plant in the Family
Brassicaceae and thus related to
cabbage. The species grows on the
Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Crozet, Prince Edward, Marion. and
Kerguelen Islands. These remote rocks are at roughly 50º South Latitude, constantly buffeted by strong winds. As a result, the Kerguelen cabbage is
self-pollinating (flying insects die very quickly).
The plant is edible, containing high levels of potassium. Its leaves contain a Vitamin C-rich oil, a fact which, in the days of sailing ships, made it very attractive to British sailors suffering from scurvy.
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