Diptychocarpus strictus (Fisch. ex M. Bieb.) Trautv.

A variable species; sometimes only flattened, dehiscent siliquae are present. Our plants have very narrow leaves and may be infra-specifically different.

Annual, 10-40 cm tall, usually sparsely hairy. Basal leaves often in loose rosette, pinnatifid to distantly toothed, rarely almost entire, 30-50 mm long, 4-6 mm broad; upper leaves on the main stem ± similar to the basal leaves, those on the branches and the uppermost leaves linear-oblong, smaller, almost entire. Racemes 10-20-flowered, up to 15 cm long in fruit. Flowers 5-6 mm across, lilac, pinkish or whitish; pedicels up to 3 (-4) mm long in fruit, thickened, especially with the indehiscent fruits. Sepals 4-5 mm long. Petals 8-10 mm long, c. 1.5 mm broad. Stamens 4: 6 mm long; anthers c. 1.5 mm long. Siliquae dimorphic; upper ones usually dehiscent, linear-compressed, subterete, 45-60 (-100) mm long, 2-3 mm broad; lower ones usually indehiscent but transversely breaking into seeded parts, 35-45 mm long, c. 2 mm broad, linear-cylindrical; valves rigid with a distinct mid-vein; style with stigma (beak) 3-4 (-6) mm long, conical, somewhat thickened; septum membranous, not veined; seeds distinctly to obscurely or not winged (usually winged in dehiscent fruits).

Herbs annual, (8-)15-40(-50) cm tall, with multicellular glandular trichomes to 0.1 mm, these sometimes mixed with simple ones to 3 mm. Stems erect, branched above. Basal leaves often withered by flowering; petiole 3-15 mm; leaf blade lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 2.5-5 cm × 3-10 mm, densely glandular, sparsely pilose or glabrous, base cuneate or attenuate, margin sinuate-dentate, dentate, or rarely pinnatifid, apex acute. Cauline leaves similar to basal ones, progressively narrower upward, becoming linear or filiform, subsessile, entire. Fruiting pedicels (2-)3-5(-8) mm. Sepals 4-5 × ca. 1 mm. Petals purple or whitish, oblanceolate, 7-10 × 0.5-1.2 mm; claw 3.5-5 mm. Filaments 3-6 mm; anthers ovate, ca. 0.5 mm. Fruit linear, dimorphic, 2-3.5 mm wide; lowermost fruit terete, 2.5-4.5(-6) cm, corky, indehiscent; upper fruit flattened, (4-)5-8 cm, leathery, dehiscent; style (2.5-)3-8 mm, longer on upper fruit. Seeds brown, oblong or suborbicular, 2.5-4 × 2-2.5 mm; wing 0.3-1 mm. Fl. Apr-Jun, fr. May-Aug. 2n = 14.

Distribution: Turcomania, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Gansu, Nei Mongol, Xinjiang [Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; SW Asia, SE Europe].

Fl. Per.: March-May.

Steppe, hillsides, wastelands; 500-1000 m.

Raphanus strictus Fischer ex Marschall von Bieberstein, Fl. Taur.-Caucas. 3: 452. 1819-1820; Alloceratium strictum (Fischer ex Marschall von Bieberstein) J. D. Hooker & Thomson; Chorispora stenopetala Regel & Schmalhausen; C. stricta (Fischer ex Marschall von Bieberstein) de Candolle; Matthiola fischeri Ledebour; Orthorrhiza persica Stapf.