Flora of New Zealand Series

sea rocket

Stems 30-60 cm tall, much-branched from base, stout, glabrous, sprawling to suberect, forking; main stem often flexuous. Rosette lvs fleshy, obovate to oblanceolate, shallowly pinnatifid, petiolate, 4-6 × 1.5-3 cm; margins serrate; stem lvs narrower and shorter, oblanceolate, obtuse, bluntly serrate. Infl. rachis flexuous, thickening and elongating at fruiting. Pedicels suberect to spreading, 1-3 mm long. Fls 6-8 mm diam., clustered. Petals 4-6 × 1-1.5 mm. Silique erect, (12)-15-22 × 4-7 mm; upper segment ovate, acuminate, tapering to a narrow winged beak, emarginate, 4-angled or 8-ribbed, somewhat flattened, frequently persistent if lower segment seedless, 8-13 mm long; lower segment terete, barrel-shaped, often obconic, (4)-6-9 mm long, without lateral horns.

N.; S.; St.; Ch.

E. coast N. America 1935

Sandy and stony beaches near high water mark, mostly eastern coasts.

N.Z. specimens belong to var. edentula.