Brassica deflexa Boiss.

Hedge (in Rech. f., l.c. 35) considered Brassica leptocarpa Boiss as subsp. of Brassica deflexa (earlier O.E. Schulz l.c. recognized it as a variety) and considered Brassica iranica Rech. f. its synonym, basing it on short fruit and short pedicel from that of the type race, which is said to have long pedicel and longer fruit. Earlier Jafri (l.c.) has already shown that length of pedicel and fruit are very variable and widely over-lapping characters, valueless for separating infra specific categories. However, Jafri's studies did not include Brassica leptocarpa Boiss. as a synonym of Brassica deflexa. Hedge also overlooked to cite Stocks' specimens from W. Pakistan, which extends the distribution of this species to our area, its eastern most limits.

Its larger flower and less than a cm. long, non-tapering beak, distinguishes it from the previous species.

Annual, 20-60 cm tall, erect, branched, ± hispid below with 1-2 mm long usually deflexed hairs, subglabrous or glabrous above. Lower leaves subrosulate, 6-10 cm long, 1.5-3.8 cm broad, including 2.5-3.5 cm long petiole; lamina lyrate to oblong-ovate, irregularly dentate or sinuately dentate, apex rounded; middle leaves shortly petioled, ± ovate, sinuate dentate, acute; upper leaves much smal¬ler, 1-2 cm long, 2-8 mm broad, oblong, subsessile, cuneate, ± dentate. Racemes 20-40-flowered, lax, increasing up to 30 cm in fruit. Flowers 7-12 mm across, yellow; pedicel 3-8 mm long increasing up to 20 mm in fruit, thickened or not, often + deflexed, especially the lower ones. Sepals c. 5 mm long, 1.5 mm broad. Petals 9-12 mm long, 4 mm broad, obovate, clawed (claw 3-4 mm long). Stamens c. 5:7 mm long; anthers c. 2 mm long, oblong-ovate, slightly curved above. Siliquae 35-90 mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm broad, oblong, usually straight, subcylindrical, glabrous, ± torulose, including 3-5 mm long, 0-1-seeded, hardly or not tapering beak; valve with a distinct mid-vein; septum hyaline; seeds 10-25 in each locule, uniseriate, c. 0.7 mm in diam., globose, light brown with black hilum.

Distribution: Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Arabia, Iran and Pakistan.

Fl. Per. March-May.