London Rocket - introduced (*Sisymbrium irio)

Family: Brassicaceae (Cabbage family).

Native of Europe.

Occurrence: Uncommon in Central Victoria. It is more abundant in the Mallee.

Identification:

• the flowers have four yellow petals
• the leaves are not in a basal rosette
• the leaves are dissected into deep lobes, and the leaf margins are toothed
• the leaves are smaller towards the top of the plant
• the fruit are slender and curved
• the fruit do not have a terminal beak
• each side of the fruit has a prominent central vein and two fainter veins.

Similar species. The absence of a beak on the fruit, the narrow curved fruit helps distinguish London Rocket from other yellow-flowered members of the cabbage family.

Photo: 1: London Rocket in flower. Kerang.
2-5 below: London Rocket. Market Place, Bendigo. The slender fruit resembles a string of beads.