Common name: American Sea Rocket
Cakile edentula (Bigelow) Hook. APNI*
Description: Branched herb to 80 cm high.
Leaves dark green, ovate to spathulate, usually 4–7 cm long, variously lobed, but with the lobes tending to point forwards; margins smooth. Leaves are never pinnate.
Sepals 4–5 mm long. Petals 4–8 mm long, white, pink or lavender.
Silicula 12–24 mm long, 4–8 mm wide; pedicel spreading, to 8 mm long, breaking between the segments; upper segment 7–15 mm long, top-shaped, compressed, 4-angled; lower segment 5–10 mm long, cylindrical to slightly obconical, much narrower than the upper, without lateral projections at apex but with 2–6 small teeth. Surface glossy, shiny often with a purple tinge at the apex. Fruits usually align with stems and do not stick out at an angle.
Distribution and occurrence: Restricted range; in Australia it occurs in southern Tasmania, northern NSW and Queensland. Also in the North and South Islands of New Zealand.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *SC, *LHI
Other Australian states: *Qld *Vic. *Tas. *W.A.
Text by L. Retter & G. J. Harden; updated Louisa Murray (April 2017) Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 1 (1990); Roger Cousens & Sara Ohadi (pers.comm)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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