Cruciferae

The cabbage family, comprising about 390 genera and 3,000 species worldwide. Forms of the genus Brassica are important food plants; various types of cress are much used as flavourings. A number of genera are weeds, and many are grown as ornamentals, including Alyssum, Aubrietia, wallflowers Cheiranthus, honesty Lunaria, and stock Matthiola.

Their flowers characteristically have four sepals and four petals spreading in the form of a cross. There are usually six stamens; the central ovary typically ripens to a siliqua, a podlike fruit with a central longitudinal partition. Fruits of this type are very varied in shape. Some of the Cruciferae have single-seeded fruits.