Kerguelen cabbage
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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 50ยบ 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.
External links
- http://www.btinternet.com/~sa_sa/kerguelen/kerguelen_cabbage.html
- http://www.anbg.gov.au/anbg/sub-antarctic/article3.html
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