Eruca vesicaria

Eruca vesicaria, rocket
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Eruca
Species: E. vesicaria
Binomial name
Eruca vesicaria
(L.) Cav.

Eruca vesicaria (syn. Brassica vesicaria L.) is a species of Eruca native to the western Mediterranean region, in Morocco, Algeria, Spain and Portugal.[1] It is closely related to Eruca sativa;[2] that species is included in E. vesicaria by some botanists either as a subspecies E. vesicaria subsp. sativa[3] or not distinguished at all;[4] E. vesicaria can be distinguished from E. sativa by its persistent sepals.[3][5]

It is an annual plant growing to 20–100 cm tall. The leaves are deeply pinnately lobed with four to ten small lateral lobes and a large terminal lobe. The flowers are 2–4 cm diameter, arranged in a corymb, with the typical Brassicaceae flower structure; the petals are creamy white with purple veins, and the stamens yellow; the sepals are persistent after the flower opens. The fruit is a siliqua (pod) 12–25 mm long with an apical beak, and containing several seeds.[3][5]

Cultivation and uses

It can be used as a leaf vegetable in the same manner as Eruca sativa.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Med-Checklist: Eruca vesicaria
  2. ↑ Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). Flora of Britain and Northern Europe. ISBN 0-340-40170-2
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Flora of NW Europe: Eruca vesicaria
  4. ↑ Flora Europaea: Eruca
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.
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