Arabidopsis thaliana
Common WallcressAnnual herbs to 50 cm high, often several-stemmed. Basal leaves spathulate, obovate, ovate, or elliptic, 8–35(–45) mm long, (1–)2–12(–15) mm wide, margin entire or lobed; stem leaves subsessile, lanceolate, linear, oblong, or elliptic, smaller than basal leaves, usually entire. Sepals 1–2(–2.5) mm long, equal; petals white, 2–3.5 mm long. Fruit linear, 10–25 mm long, glabrous; valves with distinct midvein; style c. 0.5 mm long; pedicles spreading, to 10 mm long; seeds ellipsoid, c. 0.5 mm long.
GipP. Also naturalised WA, Qld, NSW, ACT, Tas. Native to Europe and Asia, naturalised throughout much of the world. Currently the only record of this species in Victoria is from the grounds of the Parkville campus of the University of Melbourne, where it is thought to have escaped from research trials.
Arabidopsis thaliana is widely used as a model organism for studies in plant biology.
