Arabidopsis thaliana, the thale cress, mouse-ear cress or arabidopsis, is a small plant from the mustard family (Brassicaceae), native to Eurasia and Africa. Commonly found along the shoulders of roads and in disturbed land, it is generally considered a weed.
Arabidopsis thaliana
Botanical illustration
Scanning electron micrograph of a trichome, a leaf hair of A. thaliana, a unique structure made of a single cell
A double-flower mutant, first documented in 1873
Brassicaceae or Cruciferae is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous plants, while some are shrubs. The leaves are simple, lack stipules, and appear alternately on stems or in rosettes. The inflorescences are terminal and lack bracts. The flowers have four free sepals, four free alternating petals, two shorter free stamens and four longer free stamens. The fruit has seeds in rows, divided by a thin wall.
Brassicaceae
Ricotia lunaria
Typical floral diagram of a Brassicaceae (Erysimum "Bowles' Mauve")
Lunaria annua with dry walls of the fruit