Perennial Wall-Rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia), fam. Brassicaceae.
   Very drought-resistant weed, which keeps bright-green appearance and blooms with lonely yellow flowers with sweet smell even in the heat of summer. Owing to that qualities, it is quite abundant in southern regions of Ukraine, though not so much in Kyiv.
   Many of us are familiar with arugula – a kind of salad greens. It has pungent, specific aroma, which does not please everyone. That is because all crucifers – the vegetables from the cabbage, mustard, and radish group – more or less have some components with pungent smell or irritating properties. Usually the selection is directed towards decreasing the content of these components. For some reason, the name "arugula" may relate not only to that plant, Eruca sativa, but also the Perennial Wall-Rocket. This can be explained by genetic, external and taste closeness of these species. So, we could name Perennial Wall-Rocket as "wild arugula". Sometimes the difference between the species is neglected, but sometimes – on the contrary, the "wild" variety is considered unusable, so they recommend to study the seeds carefully when buying, to avoid it.
   The wall-rocket greens is only edible in early spring, being rich in vitamins and minerals, but usually consumed in very small quantities. The smaller, younger and more tender are the leaves, the less bitterness they contain.

---