''Descurainia sophia'' is a member of the family

Brassicaceae Brassicaceae () or (the older) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous plants, while some are shrubs. The le ...

. Common names include flixweed, herb-Sophia and tansy mustard. It reproduces by

seeds A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosperm pl ...

. It is a dominant weed in dark brown prairie and black prairie soils of southern Alberta. Its

stem Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...

is erect, branched, and high. It was once given to patients with

dysentery Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...

and called by ancient

herbalists Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern remed ...

''Sophia Chirurgorum'', "The Wisdom of Surgeons". It is the type species of the genus ''Descurainia'' (named for French botanist and herbalist François Descurain (1658–1749)) and of the rejected genus ''Sophia'' Adans.

Culinary use

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

, the seeds are called ''khak-e shir'' (''khakshir''), and khak-e shir drinks are traditionally favored as thirst quencher during hot summer days. Khakshir is also considered a medicinal substance in traditional Iranian medicine, consumed in varying combinations with other herbs and substances to gain effects ranging from antidiuretic to aphrodisiac. China has a tradition of eating this plant, and its eating method is recorded in the '' Jiuhuang Bencao''.

Cultural

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, it is called the ''Sophienkraut'' and associated with

Saint Sophia of Rome Saint Sophia of Rome is venerated as a Christian martyr. She is identified in hagiographical tradition with the figure of Sophia of Milan, the mother of Saints Faith, Hope and Charity, whose veneration is attested for the sixth century. Howeve ...

, who was invoked against late frosts.

References

sophia Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Flora of Malta {{Brassicales-stub