• perianth is regular and of 4 separate sepals and 4 separate petals
• stamens usually 6, usually tetradynamous (4 long and 2 short)
• pistil superior and hypogynous of 2 fused carpels (2 locules)
• floral formula:   -silique (long) or silicle (short)

• annual, biennial, or perennial herbs
• leaves alternate, simple, estipulate (without stipules) 

• a large family of 350 genera and about 2500 species
• conserved family name Cruciferae comes from the cross formed by the 4 petals
• easy to key to family, but often difficult to key to species
• fruits are distinctive: usually (in ours at least) a long, splitting, capsule-like fruit called a silique but sometimes a broader, shorter, flatter capsule-like fruit called a silicle
• economic importance as food (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, radish, kohlrabi, watercress) or condiments (mustard, horse-radish)
• several weeds (peppergrass, mustards, shepherd's purse)
• a few ornamentals (stocks, candytuft, sweet alyssum, basket-of-gold)
• often containing a pungent, mustard-like sap in any or all parts of the plant

• Field Mustard (Brassica)
• Toothwort (Cardamine)
• Yellow Rocket (Barbarea)
• Cress (Cardamine)
• Peppergrass (Cardaria, Lepidium)
• Watercress (Nasturtium)
• Cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli, etc. (Brassica)
• Radish (Raphanus)
• Horse-radish (Armoracia)
• Candytuft (Iberis)
• Basket-of-Gold (Alyssum)
• Stocks (Matthiola) 

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