A genus of small plants with round, spoon-shaped leaves, also known as scurvygrass, once used to prevent scurvy in sailors.
From Latin cochlear (spoon), referring to the plant's spoon-shaped leaves. The botanical genus name preserves this characteristic feature that makes it distinctive.
Cochlearia saved the lives of sailors on long voyages—the high vitamin C in these humble plants prevented scurvy, leading to the term 'limeys' for British sailors who used them!
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