Brassicaceae FAMILY

Eruca sativa

Edibility

4/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Eruca sativa is a fast-growing, erect, branched annual plant, producing a basal rosette of leaves followed by one or more flowering stems; it can grow up to 60cm tall. This is the cultivated rocket, grown in gardens and on a larger scale as a source of salad leaves, medicines, essential and fixed oils. The plant has become fairly well known as a richly flavoured addition to salads and it is occasionally cultivated for its edible leaves and flowers, especially in the Mediterranean and in Sudan, but also on a small scale in a number of other countries.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate; tropical

Native RangeEurope - Mediterranean, through temperate western, central and eastern Asia to Mongolia and China

HabitatWaste ground, fields, olive groves, stony hills, tracksides etc[ 89 Title Flowers of the Mediterranean. Publication Author Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Publisher Hogarth Press Year 1987 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1 Description A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses. ].