Sisymbrium irio L.
Family: Brassicaceae

Pertinent Synonyms & Notes (particularly those used in California; go to GRIN for other synonyms)

Norta irio (L.) Britt.

Pertinent Common Names (particularly those used in California; go to GRIN for other common names)

London rocket

Primary Disseminule Type

seed

Description (diagnostics are in brown)

Fruit a many-seeded, dehiscent silique, linear-cylindric, straight or slightly curved, flexible, glabrous, (2.5)3–4(5) cm long x 0.9–1.1 wide, without conspicuous beak.

Seed ovoid to oblong in outline, compressed, cross-section ovoid to bilobed, 0.7–1 mm long x 0.5–0.6 mm wide x 0.3–0.4 mm thick, with an indistinct longitudinal groove on both faces delineating the radicle from the cotyledons. Surface glabrous, minutely reticulate-papillate, shiny, tan to yellowish-brown with 2 reddish spots at the hilar end.

Hilum in a notch, white funiculus often present.

Embryo bent, cotyledons incumbent to obliquely incumbent, endosperm lacking.

Similar Species

See Similar Species Comparison Chart and compare to seeds of Lepidium.

Risk Assessment (codes in yellow or red indicate cause for concern; assessments are current as of mid-2011; click AUQP, NZBORIC, or NZBPI for access to the most recent versions of these databases and possible assessment changes)

AUQP, AUWP, NZBORIC, NZBPI