Annual Rock Cress

Arabis auriculata

Arabis auriculata is a delicate upright annual herbaceous plant, 5-8 cm tall, with a sparse inflorescence. The plant is covered in simple stellar hairs that give it a greyish hue. The obovate (like an inverted egg) leaves are simple and slightly crenate; the lowermost leaves have petioles, the base of the upper leaves clasp the stem. There are few, small (8-12 mm) stem leaves. The flower is white, nail-like – the corolla tube is enveloped by an upright, 2-3 mm long calyx. The flower is 3-4 mm long and the corolla limb is upright. The fruit is a thin cylindrical pod, 2.5-3.5 mm long with sparse compacted hairs. It is upright like a ruler, with two valves that open when ripe. There is a prominent vein at the center of each valve and the seeds are not winged.