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Garlic cress (Peltaria alliacea)

Description

Peltaria alliacea (garlic cress) is a perennial in the family Brassicaceae, endemic in Southeastern Europe. The plant grows up to 60 cm (24 in) and flowers white from May to July. The plant is glabrous (hairless) with simple, entire leaves. The leaves are ovate, sessile and amplexicaule (having lobes that completely surround the stem). When crushed they smell of garlic, hence the common name. The 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long white petals are shortly clawed. The orbicular, very flat silicula or seed, is pendent and has a size of about 6 by 6 mm (0.24 by 0.24 in). Its chromosome number is 2n=14 (also: 28, 56).

Taxonomic tree

  • Domain: Eukarya

    • Kingdom: Plantae

      • Phylum:

        • Class: Magnoliopsida

          • Order: Brassicales

            • Family: Brassicaceae

              • Genus: Peltaria