Rorippa sylvestris - Yellow Fieldcress

Yellow Fieldcress can be identified by its yellow flower petals, which are 4-8 mm long, and its pinnately divided leaves, which have toothed margins. The wet habitat of the plant and its creeping stems with fibrous roots are other good characteristics to look for. Leaves are alternate, stalked, deeply pinnatifid. Basal leaves are up to 10 cm long, 2-2.5 cm broad, with 6 main divisions per side. Stem leaves are similar but smaller. All leaves hairless or with very few short hairs. Leaf divisions are toothed. Flowers are borne in racemes up to 10cm long, in leaf axils and at branch ends. Flower-stalks are up to 4mm long in flower, expanding to 1cm long in fruit. Inflorescence compact in flower, quickly expanding. Siliques up to 1cm long, 1mm in diameter, cylindric but slightly compressed, glabrous, with a beak to 1mm long. Flowers have 4 ptals, distinct, spoon-shaped, yellow, hairless, up to 4 mm long, 1.5mm broad, rounded at the tip. Stamens are 6, erect, 4 larger and 2 smaller. Filaments yellow, glabrous, to 3mm long. Anthers yellow, 1mm long. Ovary cylindric, green-yellow, glabrous, 2mm long in flower, superior. Yellow Fieldcress is native to Europe and W. Asia. In India it is found in Jammia and Kashmir. Flowering: May-September.