Barbarea verna (Land cress)

Kingdom:   Plantae
(unranked):        Angiosperms
(unranked):        Eudicots
(unranked):        Rosids
Order:       Brassicales
Family:      Brassicaceae
Genus:      Barbarea
Species:     B. verna
Binomial name: Barbarea verna
Synonyms: Barbarea praecox, Lepidum nativum, Campe verna, Barbarea croatica, Erysimum vernum.
Common names: Land cress, Winter cress, Upland cress, American watercress, Bank cress, Black wood cress, Belle Isle cress, Bermuda cress, Early yellowrocket, Warly winter cress, Scurvy cress, Creasy greens,  Upland cress, Dryland cress, Cassabully

Barbarea verna is a biennial herb native to parts of central, southwest and southeast Europe. It has been cultivated as a leaf vegetable in England since the 17th century as it requires less water than watercress and is easier to cultivate.
It is found thought out New Zealand in waste areas and on roadsides.
It flowers during spring and summer. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by flies, bees, beetles. The plant is self-fertile. The new plants form rosettes of dark green glossy leaves and mature plants have a considerable variation in leaf shape.

Barbarea verna Land cress 2 .JPG  


Barbarea verna Land cress 3 .JPG

Barbarea verna Land cress 1 .JPG  

Barbarea verna by Britton, N.L. A. Brown., Wikimedia Commons.jpg
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/