Annual wall-rocket (Diplotaxis muralis) is a common wild
flower in southern England but is found more rarely in northern England,
Scotland and Wales. It grows on waste ground, particularly in sandy soils, and
also on old stone walls, hence part of its name. However, the “annual” part is
less accurate because it can be biennial as well as annual.
It grows up to 24 inches high, having unbranched stems and
lobed leaves. It has yellow flowers that appear from May to September. The
sepals of the flowers spread slightly. The cylindrical seed-pods grow on long
stalks that stick out at an angle from the stem. The yellow-brown seeds grow in
two rows within the pods.
An alternative name for annual wall-rocket is “stinkweed”.
This becomes apparent if you crush a stem between your fingers – the juice has
a foul “bad eggs” smell similar to that of hydrogen sulphide. The flowers,
however, are fragrant and it is these that attract insect pollinators.
© John Welford
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