Diplotaxis muralis

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Diplotaxis muralis
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Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Diplotaxis
Species:
D. muralis
Binomial name
Diplotaxis muralis
(L.) DC.
Synonyms

Sisymbrium murale

Diplotaxis muralis, the annual wall-rocket, is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. This plant is native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, but it is found throughout the temperate world, where it has naturalized. This is an erect mustard-like plant rarely reaching half a meter in height. It has lobed leaves and its stems are topped with dense inflorescences of yellow, or occasionally light purple, flowers with small oval petals and large anthers. The fruit is a podlike silique two to four centimeters long.

Contents

Description

It is an annual, but sometimes grows as a perennial, [1] growing up to 15–60 cm (5.9–23.6 in) tall on unbranched stems. [2] It has lobed leaves, which form a rosette at the base of the plant. They are 2–9 cm (0.79–3.54 in) long and 1–3 cm (0.39–1.18 in) wide. [1] It blooms in summer, between May and September in the UK, [2] and between April and August in China. [1] The flowers are yellow, with oblong sepals and longer, obovate petals. [1] Later, it produces a fruit capsule, long cylindrical with a short beak. [2] It contains 2 rows of yellow brown seeds, [2] which are ovoid or ellipsoid shaped. [1]

Taxonomy

D. muralis was first published by Augustin Candolle in Syst. Nat. Vol.2 on page 634 in 1821, based on an earlier description by Carl Linnaeus. [3] [4] Linnaeus had named it 'Sisymbrium murale' in his seminal publication 'Species Plantarum' in 1753. [1]

There are two known subspecies;

The Latin specific epithet muralis is interpreted as 'growing on walls'. [5] D. muralis is commonly known as 'annual wall-rocket' or 'wall rocket', in the UK, [6] [7] as it can be found growing on old walls, and is similar in form to wall rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia ), which is taller and bushier. [2]

Several cytological and morphological studies have suggested that D. muralis originated from natural hybridization between D. tenuifolia and D. viminea . [8]

Distribution and habitat

It is native to temperate regions of North Africa, Europe and parts of western Asia. [9] [10]

Range

It is found in North Africa, within Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia, in addition to Ethiopia in East Africa. Within Asia it is found in the Caucasus, Georgia (country) and Turkey. In middle Europe, it is in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland. In southeastern Europe, within Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Ukraine. Also in southwestern Europe, it is found in France, Portugal and Spain. [10]

It has naturalised in the UK since 1778, when it was found in a field of oats raised from imported seeds from a ship wrecked on the Kent coast. [9]

Habitat

It grows in waste and disturbed ground, [2] such as beside railways, roads and on tips. [9]

Ecology

It is pollinated by bees and other flying insects. [2] It is occasionally cultivated and ploughed into fields as a 'green manure'. [9]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Nymphaea alba</i> Species of water lily

Nymphaea alba, the white waterlily, European white water lily or white nenuphar, is an aquatic flowering plant in the family Nymphaeaceae. It is native to North Africa, temperate Asia, Europe and tropical Asia.

<i>Raphanus raphanistrum</i> Species of flowering plant

Raphanus raphanistrum, also known as wild radish, white charlock or jointed charlock, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. One of its subspecies, Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus, includes a diverse variety of cultivated radishes. The species is native to western Asia, Europe and parts of Northern Africa. It has been introduced into most parts of the world and is regarded as a habitat threatening invasive species in many areas, for example, Australia. It spreads rapidly and is often found growing on roadsides or in other places where the ground has been disturbed.

<i>Diplotaxis</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants

Diplotaxis (wall-rocket) is a genus of 32–34 species of flowering plants in the family Brassicaceae (Cruciferae), native to Europe, the Mediterranean region and Macaronesia; the species diversity is highest in the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa and the Cape Verde archipelago. They are annual or perennial plants, either herbaceous or sub-shrubby with a woody base. The flowers are yellow in most species, but are white in Diplotaxis erucoides and violet in Diplotaxis acris. Some species, such as Diplotaxis tenuifolia and Diplotaxis muralis, have been historically used as leaf vegetables, are similar to Eruca sativa in their peppery flavour, and are used interchangeably with it.

<i>Vinca major</i> Species of vine

Vinca major, with the common names bigleaf periwinkle, large periwinkle, greater periwinkle and blue periwinkle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae, native to the western Mediterranean. Growing to 25 cm (10 in) tall and spreading indefinitely, it is an evergreen perennial, frequently used in cultivation as groundcover.

<i>Sinapis arvensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Sinapis arvensis, the charlock mustard, field mustard, wild mustard, or charlock, is an annual or winter annual plant of the genus Sinapis in the family Brassicaceae. It is found in the fields of North Africa, Asia and Europe. Pieris rapae, the small white butterfly, and Pieris napi, the green veined white butterfly are significant consumers of charlock during their larval stages.

<i>Draba verna</i> Species of flowering plant

Draba verna, common whitlowgrass, is a species of plant in the cabbage family. It is a small spring-flowering annual which is widely dispersed around the world, and which is found on walls, pavements and patches of bare ground. It has a complex taxonomy which is not yet fully elucidated.

<i>Cochlearia officinalis</i> Species of flowering plant in the cabbage family Brassicaceae

Cochlearia officinalis, common scurvygrass, scurvy-grass, or spoonwort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. The plant acquired its common name from the observation that it cured scurvy, and it was taken on board ships in dried bundles or distilled extracts. Its very bitter taste was usually disguised with herbs and spices; however, this did not prevent scurvygrass drinks and sandwiches becoming a popular fad in the UK until the middle of the nineteenth century, when citrus fruits became more readily available.

<i>Eruca vesicaria</i> Edible annual plant

Arugula or rocket is an edible annual plant in the family Brassicaceae used as a leaf vegetable for its fresh, tart, bitter, and peppery flavor. Its other common names include garden rocket, and eruca. It is also called "ruchetta", "rucola", "rucoli", "rugula", "colewort", and "roquette." E. vesicaria, which is widely popular as a salad vegetable, is a species of Eruca native to the Mediterranean region.

<i>Eruca</i> Genus of flowering plants

Eruca is a genus of flowering plants in the family Brassicaceae, native to the Mediterranean region, which includes the leaf vegetable known as arugula or rocket.

<i>Cakile maritima</i> Species of plant

Cakile maritima, sea rocket or European searocket, is a common plant in the mustard family Brassicaceae. It is widespread in Europe, North Africa and western Asia, especially on coastlines. It can now be found in many other areas of the world where it has been introduced. It is present on the west and east coasts of North America, where it has the potential to become an invasive species. This is an annual plant which grows in clumps or mounds in the sand on beaches and bluffs. The shiny leaves are fleshy, green and tinted with purple or magenta, and long-lobed. It has white to light purple flowers and sculpted, segmented, corky brown fruits one to three centimetres long. The fruits float and are water-dispersed.

<i>Diplotaxis tenuifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Diplotaxis tenuifolia is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name perennial wall-rocket. It is native to Europe and West Asia, where it grows on disturbed ground and roadsides, and it can now be found throughout much of the temperate world where it has naturalized. In recent years it has increasingly been cultivated to produce salad leaves, which are marketed as wild rocket in Britain or arugula in the US. It is easily confused with garden rocket, which has similar uses.

<i>Lactuca muralis</i> Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

Lactuca muralis, the wall lettuce, is a perennial flowering plant in the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asteraceae, also referred to as Mycelis muralis.

<i>Fumaria muralis</i> Species of plant in the poppy family

Fumaria muralis, known as common ramping-fumitory or wall fumitory, is a flowering herbaceous plant in the poppy family (Papaveraceae) native to western Europe and northwestern Africa.

<i>Iris spuria <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> carthaliniae</i> Subspecies of flowering plant

Iris spuria subsp. carthaliniae is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Limniris and in the series Spuriae. It is a subspecies of Iris spuria, a rhizomatous perennial plant, from the Caucasus region, it is a tall iris with sky blue or white flowers. It was originally described by Fomin, as a separate species before Brian Mathew in 1981, added it to Iris spuria as one of its many subspecies. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.

<i>Iris subbiflora</i> Species of plant

Iris subbiflora is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Portugal and Spain in Europe. It has evergreen broad leaves, forming dense clumps, it has dwarf stems in late spring,, with 1 upright fragrant flower, in shades of purple, light red purple, grey-blue, blue-violet, or dark violet. It has a beard which is generally blue, purple, or violet, but can fade to white, dull yellow, or dark yellow. After being found in 1804, it was once a separate species until the late 70s, when it was reclassified as subspecies of Iris lutescens, and renamed Iris lutescens subsp. subbiflora. But in the 80s it was returned to an independent species but some authors and references still class the species as a synonym or subspecies. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.

<i>Iris acutiloba</i> Species of plant

Iris acutiloba is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Iris and section Oncocyclus. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the mountains of the Caucasus and found in Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Dagestan in the North Caucasus, and Iran. It is a dwarf species, with narrow, falcate or curved leaves, it has one flower in spring or early summer, that comes in shades from cream, creamy white, whitish, pale brown, light grey, to pale violet. It is heavily veined or streaked and pointed, with 2 dark spots and brown, purple, dark purple, or black short beard. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. There are two subspecies, Iris acutiloba subsp. lineolata and Iris acutiloba subsp. longitepala.

<i>Romulea columnae</i> Species of flowering plant

Romulea columnae, the sand crocus, is a herbaceous perennial in the family Iridaceae. It is a small plant, with thin narrow leaves, and small scape which has small pink, pale purple or violet pointed flowers with darker veining and a gold or yellow throat. It is native to a wide area ranging from western Europe to the Mediterranean.

<i>Vicia tenuifolia</i> Species of plant

Vicia tenuifolia, the fine-leaved vetch,cow vetch, fodder vetch or bramble vetch, is a herbaceous perennial plant species in the family Fabaceae. This species is widespread in Europe and some parts of both Asia and Africa. In some other areas it occurs as an introduced species. In a few countries this edible vetch is used as food for both humans and farm animals.

<i>Diplotaxis viminea</i> Species of plant

Diplotaxis viminea also known by the common name Vineyard wall rocket is a species of annual herb in the family Brassicaceae. They have a self-supporting growth form and simple, broad leaves. Individuals can grow to 5.8 cm tall. It forms a basal rosette of leaves and flowering stems with or without leaves. It blooms June through October in western Europe, but may have an extended flowering period of up to eight months elsewhere in its range. This species grows in fields and vineyards and It is considered by some to be a weed of vegetable crops, vineyards, and gardens.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "FOC Vol. 8 Page 24". efloras.org. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Reader's Digest Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of Britain. Reader's Digest. 1981. p. 43. ISBN   9780276002175.
  3. 1 2 "Diplotaxis muralis (L.) DC. is an accepted name". 23 March 2012. theplantlist.org. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  4. "Brassicaceae Diplotaxis muralis DC". ipni.org. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  5. Archibald William Smith A Gardener's Handbook of Plant Names: Their Meanings and Origins , p. 160, at Google Books
  6. F.H.Perring, P.D.Sell and S.M.Walters A Flora of Cambridgeshire , p. 54, at Google Books
  7. "Diplotaxis muralis wall rocket". rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  8. Ueno, O; Wada, Y; Wakai, M; Bang, SW (2006). "Evidence from photosynthetic characteristics for the hybrid origin of Diplotaxis muralis from a C3-C4 intermediate and a C3 species". Plant Biol (Stuttg). 8 (2): 253–9. doi:10.1055/s-2005-873050. PMID   16547870.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Diplotaxis muralis". brc.ac.uk. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  10. 1 2 "Taxon: Diplotaxis muralis (L.) DC". ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 10 November 2017.