Sisymbrium irio L.

Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)

 

Europe

 

London Rocket 

                             February Photo

 

Plant Characteristics:  Erect annual, 2-8 dm. tall, glabrous, branched above;  glabrous, pinnatifid leaves with one or two pair of lobes below a large subdeltoid terminal lobe; upper leaves reduced; racemes long, many-fld.; pedicels filiform, ascending, 6-10 mm. long; sepals 2-2.5 mm. long; petals yellow, 3-4 mm. long; siliques 1.5-5 cm. long, ascending more than spreading, seeds light brown, shining, oblong-ovate.

 

Habitat:  Cismontane S. Calif., common in orchards, waste places, occasional on desert; to TX, Baja CA. Below 800 m. Jan.-July.

 

Name:  Sisymbrium is Greek for some plant of the Mustard Family.  Irio refers to a kind of cress.  (Dale 86).

 

General:  Common in the study area.  Photographed on the Castaway's Bluffs and the North Star Flats.   In 1991, a dry year until March when it rained heavily, S. irio grew profusely in much of the area that was normally covered with the genus Brassica.  In some areas, the Brassica, matured late and became taller than the S. irio but by this time S. irio had already matured.  (my comments).      The Indians used the leaves for food.  (Heizer and Elsasser 251).     A genus of some size as here recognized; native of the temperate parts of the world.  Ours all introduced from Europe.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 301).

 

Text Ref:  Hickman, Ed. 438; Munz, Calif. Flora 231; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 301; Roberts 16.

Photo Ref:  Feb 1 83 # 34; May 2 83 # 7; Feb 2 84 # 22.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by F. Roberts.  

 

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 14.  

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 10/23/02.

 

                                February Photo