Sisymbrium volgense M.Bieb. ex E. Fourn.

Sisymbrium species are annual, biennial or perennial herbs, glabrous or pubescent with simple trichomes, not scapose. Rootstocks taproot. Stem usually erect, subprostrate or decumbent, ascending, simple or branched distally. Basal leaves rosulate or not, obovate-lanceolate to oblong in outline, margin lyrate pinnatifid to pinnatisect, rarely entire, apex acuminate, petiolate, cauline leaves gradually smaller, similar to basal, petiole short to sessile. Inflorescence racemes, many flowered, considerably elongated in fruit, ebracteate, rarely bracteate. Flowers bisexual, yellow, white, pink, purple, pedicel erect or reflexed, divaricate, slender or thick, ascending, sepals 4, erect or spreading, linear ovate-oblong, margin membranous, inner lateral pair base sometimes subsaccate, petals 4, obovate-oblanceolate to spathulate, margins entire, apex obtuse or emarginate, claw distinct, usually almost equal or slightly longer than sepals. Stamens 6 rarely 4, tetradynamous, filaments not dilated near the base, anthers ovate-oblong, apex obtuse rarely apiculate, nectar glands 4 confluent, usually subtending the bases of stamens, median glands present. Ovary superior, linear subcylindrical, bicarpellary, ovules 10-160. Fruit siliqua, dehiscent, linear cylindrical, sessile or rarely shortly stipitate, terete or latiseptate, smooth or torulose, valves prominent midvein and obscure marginal veins, valves chartaceous to leathery, replum rounded, septum complete, style subclavate or cylindric, stigma capitate, bilobed, lobes not decurrent. Seeds uniseriate, brown, plump, oblong-ovoid, not winged, minutely reticulate, not mucilaginous when soaked, cotyledons obliquely incumbent.

Sisymbrium 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.

Perennial herbs, herbaceous, glabrous or sparsely pubescent with simple trichomes, about 30-75 cm tall, not scapose. Stem erect, ascending, simple, divaricately branched distally above, glabrous or sparsely shortly pubescent towards the base, glaucescent. Basal leaves in rosulate, obovate-lanceolate or triangular-hastate in outline, about 5-12 x 2-6 cm across, margins shallow-pinnatifid, with 1-2 linear lanceolate-oblong lobes on each side, usually the first lateral lobe lateral lobe differentiated, later fused with bigger terminal lobe, margins coarsely dentate, pubescent on the margins and beneath, petiole about 1-3 cm long, cauline leaves gradually smaller and linear, upper ones linear, margins entire to subentire, petiole short to subsessile. Inflorescence racemes, many flowered, elongated, lax in fruit, ebracteate. Flowers bisexual, yellow, pedicel erect, divaricate, slender, about 4-7 mm long, sepals 4, erect, spreading, linear oblong, margin membranous, inner lateral pair base sometimes subsaccate, about 3.5-4 x 1-2 mm across, petals 4, obovate to spathulate, margins entire, apex obtuse, about 6-10 x 2.5-4 mm across, claw distinct. Stamens 6, tetradynamous, filaments not dilated near the base, anthers ovate-oblong, apex obtuse. Ovary superior, linear subcylindrical, bicarpellary. Fruit siliqua, dehiscent, linear subcylindrical, about 25-60 x 0.8-1.2 mm across, terete, erect or slightly curved, valves prominent midvein, valves glabrous, septum complete, style subclavate, about 0.5 mm long, stigma capitate, bilobed, lobes not decurrent. Seeds yellowish brown, plump, elliptic-ovoid, about 1-1.2 mm long, not winged, minutely reticulate, not mucilaginous when soaked, cotyledons obliquely incumbent.

Sisymbrium species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus, mildews and moulds.

Notes: Western Ghats, Cultivated, Native of Eurasia

Roadsides and moist places.

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Introduced and naturalized.