Kalonka, near Łódź

It is native to the Mediterranean region, but widely spread over the world. Edible plant - leaves raw or cooked; the leaves are also a cress and cabbage substitute, becoming peppery with age; the young flowering shoots can be eaten raw or cooked; seed raw or cooked, can be also ground into a meal and used in soups; the seedpods can be used as a peppery seasoning for soups and stews; the fresh or dried root is a ginger substitute! Herbal plant - a tea made from the whole plant is antiscorbutic, astringent, diuretic, emmenagogue, haemostatic, hypotensive, oxytocic, stimulant, vasoconstrictor, vasodilator and vulnerary, used as remedy against haemorrhages of all kinds; in folk medicine is used as anti-cancer remedy. Useful plant - plants can be grown on salty or marshy land in order to reclaim it by absorbing the salt and 'sweetening' the soil.