Diplotaxis (plant)

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}}

{{automatic taxobox

| image = Kleine zandkool R0013711.JPG

| image_caption = Diplotaxis muralis

| taxon = Diplotaxis (plant)

| authority = DC.

}}

File:Grote zandkool 23-08-2005 12.54.30.JPG]]

Diplotaxis (wall-rocket) is a genus of 32–34 species of flowering plants in the family Brassicaceae (Cruciferae), native to Europe, the Mediterranean region and Macaronesia; the species diversity is highest in the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa and the Cape Verde archipelago.{{cite book |author1=Domenico Pignone|author2= Juan B. Martínez-Laborde |title= Wild Crop Relatives: Genomic and Breeding Resources |year=2011 |chapter=Diplotaxis |pages=137–147 |doi=10.1007/978-3-642-14871-2_7 |editor=Chittaranjan Kole |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-642-14871-2}} They are annual or perennial plants, either herbaceous or sub-shrubby with a woody base. The flowers are yellow in most species, but are white in Diplotaxis erucoides and violet in Diplotaxis acris. Some species, such as Diplotaxis tenuifolia and Diplotaxis muralis, have been historically used as leaf vegetables, are similar to Eruca sativa in their peppery flavour, and are used interchangeably with it.{{cite journal|last1=Grillo|first1=Oscar|last2=Draper|first2=David|last3=Venora|first3=Gianfranco|last4=Bautista Martinez-Laborde|first4=Juan|title=Seed image analysis and taxonomy of Diplotaxis DC.(Brassicaceae, Brassiceae)|journal=Systematics and Biodiversity|date=2012|volume=10|issue=1|pages=57–70|url=https://www.academia.edu/24232078|access-date=14 October 2016|doi=10.1080/14772000.2012.658881|s2cid=86153208}}