Description ³

Herbs perennial, sometimes suffruticose, (5-)12-24(-40) cm tall, silvery pubescent. Stems erect, ascending, procumbent, or decumbent, basally branched; pubescent. Leaves linear, lanceolate, or oblanceolate, (1-)1.5-2.5(-4) cm × (0.8-)1.5-3(-6.5) mm, pubescent, base attenuate, margin entire, apex acute to subobtuse. Racemes many flowered, elongated considerably in fruit. Fruiting pedicels divaricate or ascending, straight, slender, (3-)5-7(-10) mm, pubescent. Sepals green or purple, oblong, 1.5-1.8(-2.4) × 0.5-1 mm, pubescent. Petals white or deep purple, obovate or suborbicular, 2-3 × 1.5-2.5(-3) mm, abruptly narrowed to claw; claw to 1 mm. Filaments white or purple, 1.2-2 mm; anthers ovate, 0.3-0.5 mm. Fruit ovate, elliptic, or orbicular, (2-)2.3-3(-4.2) × (1.2-)1.5-2(-3) mm; valves convex, pubescent, with a distinct midvein; style 0.4-0.6 mm. Seeds light to reddish brown, 1 per ovary, lenticular, ovate or suborbicular, (1-)1.2-1.4(-2) × (0.7-)0.9-1.1(-1.5), wingless or with a narrow wing to 0.1 mm wide. Fl. and fr. throughout the year depending on locality. 2n = 24.

Distribution ⁴

Cultivated in most of China, naturalized in Gansu, Hebei, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Taiwan, Xinjiang, Zhejiang [native to W Mediterranean region; naturalized elsewhere].

Habitat ⁵

Stony areas, waste grounds, yards; sea level to 2000 m.

Edible ⁶

Though invasive, the plant came early enough in North America to be used by the Native Americans as food product. The stems of this plant can be eaten raw. These have a peppery, sweet taste like kale, another member of the Brassica family.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) stonebird, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/73431753@N00/4314882033
2. (c) montse poch, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/14022866@N07/3791734564
3. (c) Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/4964981
4. (c) Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/19799424
5. (c) Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/19799422
6. (c) jihyunan, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• African Plants - a photo guide
• Atlas of Living Australia
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Calflora
• CalPhotos
• Catalogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia
• eFloras.org
• Flora Digital de Portugal
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Jepson eFlora
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• NBN Atlas
• New Zealand Plant Conservation Network
• OregonFlora.org
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online
• 日本のレッドデータ検索システム
• 植物和名−学名インデックス YList

Range Map

(c) Discover Life and original sources, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-SA)

iNat Map