Peltaria alliacea

Peltaria alliacea
File:Peltaria alliacea3.JPG
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Brassicales
Family:	Brassicaceae
Genus:	Peltaria
Species:	P. alliacea
Binomial name
Peltaria alliacea Jacq.

Peltaria alliacea (garlic cress) is a perennial in the family Brassicaceae, endemic in Southeastern Europe. The plant grows up to 60 cm and flowers white from May to July. The plant is glabrous with simple, entire leaves. The leaves are ovate, sessile and amplexicaule. The 3-4 mm long white petals are shortly clawed. The orbicular, very flat silicula is pendent and has a size of about 6x6 mm. Its chromosome number is 2n=14 (also: 28, 56).

The plant is also grown as a herb or vegetable. The leaves can be used and add a spiciness to salads. Although, they can become bitter in the summer.

The plant grows in stony areas from Southern Austria (Styria, Lower Austria) to South Romania and Albania.

File:Peltaria alliacea4.JPG leaves

File:Peltaria alliacea6.JPG silicula

File:Peltaria alliacea1.JPG plant habitus

File:Peltaria alliacea5.JPG near Graz (Austria)

References

• Thomas Gaskell Tutin u.a. (Hrsg.): Flora Europaea: Psilotaceae to Platanaceae, Vol. 1. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (UK) 1980, ISBN 0-521-41007-X
• S.I. Warwick, I.A. Al-Shehbaz: Brassicaceae: Chromosome number index and database on CD-Rom. In: Plant Systematics and Evolution. Band 259, 2006, p.237–248. DOI 10.1007/s00606-006-0421-1
• Plants for a Future entry