ID needed for Brassica & Strange Sea-Grass

[Mark Tulley]

A couple of plants I found in Pegwell Bay last week, which have proved too difficult for me. The crucifer looked very pretty, large separate flowers, and I couldn't resist taking photos. But the leaves don't fit with turnip and the location was wrong for wall rocket




The grass was quite abundant at the site, all in a similar flurry of stamens. Nothing in my books looks like it. Nearest is a Cord Grass - Spartina spp. It was growing by the sea-lavender and the glasswort on mud flats.




I would appreciate some help.
Mark

[Meta menardi]

Stand back a bit when you take your pics, they are too close and to unfocussed for me.

[PeterJL]

Tough from those pics but wild guess that your brassica might be Stinkweed (Diplotaxis muralis) and the grass is something like Common Cord-grass (Spartina anglica). But the grasses in this genus (Spartina) can't be separated from photos it's a hand lens and much swearing sort of job.

[AlanS]

Originally Posted by Mark Tulley

A couple of plants I found in Pegwell Bay last week, which have proved too difficult for me. The crucifer looked very pretty, large separate flowers, and I couldn't resist taking photos. But the leaves don't fit with turnip and the location was wrong for wall rocket

Mark

Why is the location wrong for Wall Rocket?

The photograph is not top quality (focus or wind? Often not much anyone can do about the latter!) - but it looks fine for Perennial Wall-rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) to me. We could do with a better view of the leaves - lobing not at all clear in the photograph though I think I can see some, and the species is very variable in this anyway. Fruiting characters look correct. Common in the south, including cliffs and dunes.

The Wild Carrot in the background gives us scale, which is partly why I am not going along with Peter's suggestion of the much smaller Stinkweed, and the fruiting characters (pedicel length, short stalk between sepal scars and valves) also indicate D. tenuifolia.

And yes, as Peter says, the grass is most likely Spartina anglica, but needs its bits measured and anthers checked.

Alan

[PeterJL]

Incidentally Mark if you think you might have a Diplotaxis and have a reasonable sensitive nose, then crush a leaf and sniff.

D. muralis is quite disgusting and the larger tenuifolia is only a bit disgusting. However I find that some people can't smell the disgustment.

[Mark Tulley]

Sorry the photos are not clear. It was windy and I was holding the flower steady in my hand when I took the close-up. I cropped the photos to show more detail in a small format. This is the original, which gives more surroundings. The ground does look rather 'wall-like' on reflection, but my books make no mention of a maritime habitat.



Alan, I have a better picture of the leaves, below, showing very little lobing, which was one reason I wasn't happy with D tenuifolia to start with. However, it seems the most likely and the CTW illustration shows quite narrow leaves.



I will remember to have a sniff at the crushed leaves if I see it again. That's a good tip, Peter.

Well guys, thanks for your help. The WAB site is far too addictive and I must get on with some work.

Mark