Flora of New Zealand Series

sea rocket

Stems 10-30 cm tall, much-branched from base, stout, glabrous, sprawling to suberect, forking, not flexuous. Rosette lvs fleshy, narrow-oblong to ovate, shallowly crenate to pinnatifid, petiolate, 4-6 × 1-2 cm; margins entire, rarely crenate or sinuate; stem lvs smaller, crenate to pinnatifid, oblong to linear to linear-spathulate. Infl. rachis straight, thickening and elongating at fruiting. Pedicels suberect to spreading, 1-3 mm long. Fls c. 1 cm diam., clustered. Petals 7-9 × 1-2 mm. Silique erect, (11)-13-16-(18) × 4-7 mm; upper segment mitre-shaped, tapering to a conic beak, acute, 4-angled, (8)-10-15 mm long; lower segment obconic, terete, 3-6 mm long, with 2 spreading to deflexed lateral horns at distal end.

N.: N. Auckland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, East Cape, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay; K.

W. Europe and Mediterranean 1940

Sandy beaches, near high water mark.

FL Oct-Jan-(Feb) Oct-Jan-(Jun).

N.Z. specimens belong to subsp. maritima.