Alliaria petiolata (M.Bieb.) Cavara & Grande

Alliaria species are erect or decumbent annual, biennial or short-lived perennial herbs. Leaves simple, alternate, basal leaves cordate or broadly ovate, margin dentate, crenate, long petioled, cauline leaves, margin dentate, shortly petiolate, exstipulate. Inflorescence racemes many flowered lax elongated in fruit, bracteate or ebracteate. Flowers bisexual, white, creamish, actinomorphic, pedicellate, sepals 4, usually free, oblong, glabrous, petals 4, alternating the sepals, oblong obovate, about twice as long the sepals. Stamens 6, filaments not dilated at the base, anthers short, oblong or obtuse, apex obtuse, lateral nectar glands annular, middle nectar glands conical, ovary superior, bicarpellary, syncarpous, ovules many, basal, erect, style short, persistent or obsolete, stigma simple or bifid, Fruit siliqua, dehiscent, linear, valves usually convex, seeds oblong or suborbicular, longitudinally striate, uniseriate.

Alliaria species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: May-July.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Erect biennial herbs, about 30-100 cm long. Stem simple, branched, glabrous or slightly pilose near the base. Root stock woody, thick, branched and elongated taproot. Basal leaves reniformor flabellate, lamina about 2-3 x 2.5-4 cm long, margin dentate, crenate, apex rounded, long petioled about 3-12 cm long, upper cauline leaves, deltoid, cordate-ovate, about 2-6 x 1.5-5 cm long, base cordate, margin acutely or obtusely toothed, apex acute, shortly petiolate about 0.5-2 cm long, exstipulate. Inflorescences racemes, about 10-30 flowered, lax elongated in fruit, about 20 cm long, ebracteate, sometimes the lowermost flowers bracteate. Flowers bisexual, white, creamish, actinomorphic, about 4-5 mm across, pedicels about 3-10 mm long, sepals 4, usually free, oblong, glabrous, about 2-3 x 0.8-1.5 mm across, petals 4, alternating the sepals, oblong obovate or oblanceolate, base somewhat clawed, about 4-6 x 1.5-3 mm across. Stamens 6, filaments not dilated at the base, about 2-4 mm long, anthers short, oblong, apex obtuse, about 0.6-1 mm long, lateral nectar glands annular, middle nectar glands conical, ovary superior, bicarpellary, syncarpous, ovules many, basal, erect, style short, persistent or obsolete, stigma simple or bifid, Fruit siliqua, dehiscent, linear, about 3.5-6 x 0.2-0.3 cm across, valves usually convex, tri nerved, seeds narrow oblong, longitudinally striate, uniseriate, dark brown or blackish, about 2.5-3 mm long.

Alliaria species are susceptible to insect pests, powdery mildews and rusts.

Rocky slopes and roadsides, altitude 2300-3000 m.

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Used as vegetable and traditional medicine as disinfectant or diuretic.