Scurvygrass

To the East of Arnside village there is an extensive area of Saltmarsh. On a few days each month it is covered by very high tides but normally it is an attractive green area where you can often see Little Egrets. In places there are some deep drainage channels and as you can see in the photo these are a good place for seeing Scurvygrass.

There are three main varieties of Scurvygrass in Britain mostly found round the coast. This one is the earliest to appear and I believe it to be English Scurvygrass ( Cochlearia anglica). It will be followed in May and June by Common Scurvygrass ( Cochlearia officianalis).

The third variety is rather curious. It is Danish Scurvygrass ( Cochlearia danica). You will have seen this because it has spread for hundreds of miles down the central reservations of our motorways and dual carriageways.

So why is it called Scurvygrass. Because its leaves have a high content of Vitamin C and Captain Cook, and other sea goers, used to take large quantities on their long voyages to help stave off that nasty condition of Scurvy.