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Eruca vesicaria sativa

Common name:	Rocket	Family:	Cruciferae
Author:	(Mill.)Thell.	Botanical references:	17, 200
Synonyms:	Eruca vesicaria ((L.)Cav.), Eruca sativa (Mill.), Brassica eruca (L.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Europe - Mediterranean. A frequent casual in Britain, occasionally becoming established for a while.
Habitat:	Waste ground, fields, olive groves, stony hills, tracksides etc[89].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Brassica erucoides[G] Brassica vesicaria[G] E. eruca[B,P] E. vesicaria ssp. sativa[B,C,P] E. vesicaria subsp. sativa[G,H] Raphanus eruca[B,P]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Arugula [H], Garden Rocket [L], Oruga [E], Rocket [E,H], Rocket Sallad [H], Rocket-salad [B], Rocketsalad [P], Roquette [H], Zwaardherik [D],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	sativa = cultivated; vesicaria = bladder like;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Capparales. Renamed to Brassicaceae -- Mustard family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Spain; Us
Noxious, Invasive and Injurious Weeds	From USDA PLANTS database, Weeds Australia , DEFRA Injurious Weeds
	Listed as noxious/invasive for: Washington.

Physical Characteristics

Annual growing to 0.6m by 0.25m at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 7 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to August, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Cultivated Beds, Sunny Edge.

Edible Uses

Condiment; Flowers; Leaves; Oil.

Young leaves - raw or cooked[2, 27, 33, 34, 74]. A distinct strongly spicy flavour[183], the taste is best from fast, well-grown plants[200]. A few leaves added to a salad are acceptable though the flavour is too strong for many tastes[K]. Some people really like these leaves though most are not very keen[K]. Older leaves that have become too hot to eat on their own can be pureed and added to soups etc[183]. In the milder areas of Britain it is possible to produce edible leaves all year round from successional sowings, especially if the winter crop is given some protection[K].
Flowers - raw[52}. A similar taste to the leaves, they make a nice garnish on the salad bowl[183].
The seed yields a semi-drying oil[1, 2, 74] which is edible if stored 6 months[61, 114] and is a substitute for rapeseed oil[34]. It contains 32% fat, 27% protein[114]. It is known as 'jamba oil'[183].
A mustard is obtained from the seed[46, 74, 183], the strong flavour comes from an essential oil that is contained within the oil of the seed[114]. The pungency of mustard develops when cold water is added to the ground-up seed - an enzyme (myrosin) acts on a glycoside (sinigrin) to produce a sulphur compound. The reaction takes 10 - 15 minutes. Mixing with hot water or vinegar, or adding salt, inhibits the enzyme and produces a mild bitter mustard[238].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antibacterial; Antiscorbutic; Aphrodisiac; Diuretic; Rubefacient; Stimulant; Stomachic.

Rocket was at one time used medicinally, though it is now used only as a salad herb[238]. The leaves are antiscorbutic, diuretic, stimulant and stomachic[4, 46].
The seed is rubefacient and stimulant[4, 46]. The powdered seed possesses antibacterial activity, but no alkaloids have been isolated[240].
The oil from the seed is said to have aphrodisiac properties[264].

Other Uses

Oil.

The seed yields a semi-drying oil which is a substitute for rapeseed oil[46]. It can also be used for lighting, burning with very little soot[114].

Cultivation details

A very easily grown and fast-maturing plant, it succeeds in most soils and conditions, though it prefers some shade in summer[52]. Once established, plants are quite drought resistant[160].
Rocket is occasionally cultivated for its edible leaves and flowers, it can be ready for harvest within 40 days of sowing the seed[1, 46, 89, 264], there are some named varieties. 'Rocket Improved' is less prone to bolting, though it still grows best in cooler weather[183].
Plants usually self-sow freely if the ground is disturbed in some way, such as by hoeing[K].
This species is normally untroubled by pests or diseases[160].

Propagation

Seed - sow outdoors in spring in situ. Germination is usually very quick and free. In order to obtain a continuous supply of edible leaves, successional sowings can be made every few weeks until mid August[33]. A late summer/early autumn sowing can provide leaves in winter, though the plants might require some protection in very cold winters[200].

Cultivars

'Rocket Improved': A spicy, improved cultivar, it is less prone to bolting than the standard type, though it still grows best in cooler weather[183].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Brassica eruca (a possible synonym).

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.

References for Eruca sativa (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.

References for Eruca vesicaria (a possible synonym).

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

References for Eruca vesicaria ssp. sativa (a possible synonym).

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

References for Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database

References for eruca sativa (a possible synonym).

[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures
[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[27] Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8
A reprint of a nineteenth century classic, giving details of vegetable varieties. Not really that informative though.

[33] Organ. J. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber 1960
Unusual vegetables that can be grown outdoors in Britain. A good guide.

[34] Harrison. S. Wallis. M. Masefield. G. The Oxford Book of Food Plants. Oxford University Press 1975
Good drawings of some of the more common food plants from around the world. Not much information though.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[52] Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn 1980
A good and comprehensive guide to temperate salad plants, with full organic details of cultivation.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[74] Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.

[89] Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press 1987 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1
A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses.

[114] Chakravarty. H. L. The Plant Wealth of Iraq.
It is surprising how many of these plants can be grown in Britain. A very readable book on the useful plants of Iraq.

[160] Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987.
Fascinating reading, this is an annual publication. Some reports do seem somewhat exaggerated though.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

[264] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Vegetables Macmillan Reference Books, London. 1995 ISBN 0 333 62640 0
Excellent and easily read book with good information and an excellent collection of photos of vegetables from around the world, including many unusual species.

Readers Comments

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