Eruca

taxobox
name = "Eruca"

---

image_caption = "Eruca vesicaria"
regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Eudicots
unranked_ordo = Rosids
ordo = Brassicales
familia = Brassicaceae
genus = "Eruca"
genus_authority = Mill.
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = See text|

"Eruca" is a genus of flowering plants in the family Brassicaceae, native to the Mediterranean region.

The number of species is disputed, with some authorities only accepting a single species, while others accept up to five species. The following species are accepted by the Med-Checklist:Med-Checklist: [http://ww2.bgbm.org/mcl/PTaxonDetail.asp?NameId=23926&PTRefFK=1275 "Eruca"] ] Med-Checklist: [http://ww2.bgbm.org/mcl/PTaxonDetail.asp?NameId=23930&PTRefFk=1275 "Eruca vesicaria" aggregate] ]
*"Eruca loncholoma" (Pomel) O.E.Schulz
*"Eruca pinnatifida" (Desf.) Pomel (syn. "E. sativa" subsp. "pinnatifida" (Desf.) Batt.; "E. vesicaria" subsp. "pinnatifida" (Desf.) Emberger & Maire)
*"Eruca sativa" Mill. (syn. "E. vesicaria" subsp. "sativa" (Mill.) Thell.)
*"Eruca setulosa" Boiss. & Reuter
*"Eruca vesicaria" (L.) Cav.When treated as a monospecific genus, all are included within "E. vesicaria".Flora of China: [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=112128 "Eruca"] ] Flora Europaea: [http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Eruca&SPECIES_XREF=&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= "Eruca"] ]

They are annual plants 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 fruit is a siliqua (pod) 12–25 mm long with an apical beak, and containing several seeds.Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). "Flora of Britain and Northern Europe". ISBN 0-340-40170-2] Flora of NW Europe: [http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/BIS/flora.php?selected=beschrijving&menuentry=soorten&id=2395 "Eruca vesicaria"] ] Huxley, A., ed. (1992). "New RHS Dictionary of Gardening". Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.]

References