Clypeola jonthlaspi L. subsp. microcarpa (Moris) Arcang.

Spice Fruit detail Image 2 In the field

Family: CRUCIFERAE (BRASSICACEAE)

Genus: Clypeola

Catalan common name: Cap de mosca. Cap de mosquit. Crenolla de roca.

Spanish common name: Cabeza de mosca. Cabeza de mosquito. Hierba rodela.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Ibiza. Formentera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): South Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Terophyte.

Habitats: Therophytic calicole fields. Rocky surfaces and dry stone walls. Therophytics communities.

Characteristics: A small annual herbaceous plant that lives in terraphytic meadows and thicket clearings. It has small yellow flowers with four petals, as it is a crucifer; the fruit shape provides easy identification, a pendulate fruit with only one seed, very compact and bordered with a membranous wing interrupted by the apex. The fruits emerge in groups into a sort of terminal raceme. Flowers at the end of winter and through spring. In the Balearic Islands one can only find subspecies microcarpa, which is even smaller than the subspecies tipica.