Cabbage Family [Brassicaceae] |
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flower
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20th April 2019, near the sea, Crosby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
One of the commonest yellow-flowered Cabbage family of plants. Grows from 15 to 100cm high, although these specimens look taller than 1m!. Can congregate in large clusters from initial beginnings. |
28th May 2012, on the beach, Colwyn Bay, North Wales. | Photo: © RWD |
It doesn't especially favour the coast, but most of the specimens shown herein on this page grow near the coast, if not actually on the shoreline as here! |
20th April 2019, near the sea, Crosby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Grows more or less bolt upright on stiffish stems. Has small clusters of yellow flowers atop. |
4th May 2019, atop railway bridge, Appley Bridge, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
Stems usually darkish purple and very upright. Leaves are variable, but with deep lobes each side. The upper with just 2 narrower lobes in the shape of a 'T' or a 'Y' with the 3 lobes each tapering as a narrow triangle. The lower leaves have several deep lobes with those nearer the stem tending to angle backwards. |
28th May 2012, on the beach, Colwyn Bay, North Wales. | Photo: © RWD |
Branches come out on alternate sides initially at ~45° to vertical but often curving more upwards near the tips. |
20th April 2019, near the sea, Crosby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
The branches always seem to appear on opposite sides of the stem, alternately; seemingly never peeling off in any but two directions, left or right. |
4th May 2019, atop railway bridge, Appley Bridge, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
4th May 2019, atop railway bridge, Appley Bridge, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
Leaves and lobes in better detail. |
3rd May 2017, Crosby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
The stems here, near the summit, are pale green rather than dull purple. Leaves are either 'T' shaped or 'Y' shaped near the summit. |
28th May 2012, on the beach, Colwyn Bay, North Wales. | Photo: © RWD |
A specimen with narrow lobes mid way up the stem. |
28th May 2012, on the beach, Colwyn Bay, North Wales. | Photo: © RWD |
Stems are sparsely hairy with bristly hairs, or with no hairs. |
28th May 2012, on the beach, Colwyn Bay, North Wales. | Photo: © RWD |
The side branches get shorter and shorter as the summit is reached, and the leaves are much narrower. A small bunch of small flowers tip the branches and summit. Seed pods are narrow and held upright close to the stem. |
28th May 2012, on the beach, Colwyn Bay, North Wales. | Photo: © RWD |
The flowers are small with 4 pale yellow petals and 6 stamens. |
4th May 2019, atop railway bridge, Appley Bridge, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
Flowers at first in dense clusters. |
4th May 2019, atop railway bridge, Appley Bridge, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
4 white-haired sepals surround as-yet un-opened flowers. The sepals may be tipped brown-purple, or green as in the specimen below. |
30th May 2015, Lathkilldale, White Peaks, Derbyshire. | Photo: © RWD |
In the centre is a discoidal pale-yellow stigma surrounded by 4 concolourous anthers in a square formation. Two extra anthers are slightly shorter and on opposite sides. Petals between 3.1 to 4.2mm long. |
28th May 2012, on the beach, Colwyn Bay, North Wales. | Photo: © RWD |
As the upper stem grows, the individual flowers get well separated on the stem like the pods will be later. |
30th May 2015, Lathkilldale, White Peaks, Derbyshire. | Photo: © RWD |
The seed pods are now becoming well separated on an ever extending/stretching stem. Ripe seed pods 10 to 20mm long, possibly hairy when young but becoming hairless as they ripen. They are on short stalks. |
Not to be semantically confused with : Some similarities to : other Rockets in the Sisymbrium genus. Uniquely identifiable characteristics Distinguishing Feature : The way the branches appear on opposite sides, angled maybe 45° upwards at first before going skywards near the end, plus the narrow seed pods held parallel and close to the stem.
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Sisymbrium | officinale | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Brassicaceae |
Sisymbrium (Rockets) |
Cabbage Family [Brassicaceae] |