''Cakile'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

within the

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants t ...

family

Brassicaceae Brassicaceae () or (the older) 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 leav ...

. Species in this genus are commonly known as searockets, though this name on its own is applied particularly to whatever member of the species is native or most common in the region concerned, the

European searocket ''Cakile maritima'', sea rocket (Britain and Ireland)Clive Stace, ''New Flora of the British Isles'' 4th edition 2019, p 441 or European searocket (North America), is a common plant in the mustard family Brassicaceae. It is widespread in Europe ...

''Cakile maritima'' in Europe, and the American searocket ''C. edentula'' in North America. The genus is native to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

, but the European searocket has been introduced into North America and has spread widely on both east and west coasts; in many places it is replacing the native ''C. edentula'', and is regarded as an undesirable

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species adv ...

. ''Cakile'' species grow as annual plants with an erect or decumbent stem. The common species in Europe and North America grow close to the coast, often in dunes. Their leaves are fleshy. Flowers are typically pale mauve to white, with petals about 1 cm in length. Each fruit has two sections, one that remains attached to the adult, and the other which that falls off for dispersal by wind or water.Keddy, P.A. 1982. Population ecology on an environmental gradient: Cakile edentula on a sand dune. Oecologia 52: 348-355. They are rather similar to those of the

wild radish ''Raphanus raphanistrum'', also known as wild radish, white charlock or jointed charlock, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. One of its subspecies, ''Raphanus raphanistrum'' subsp. ''sativus'', includes a diverse variety of cultiv ...

(also in family Brassicaceae) which is found in the same regions, and careful attention to the leaves and stems is needed to tell the two plants apart. , Kew's

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...

accepts seven species: *''

Cakile arabica ''Cakile'' is a genus within the flowering plant family Brassicaceae. Species in this genus are commonly known as searockets, though this name on its own is applied particularly to whatever member of the species is native or most common in th ...

'' Velen. *''

Cakile arctica ''Cakile arctica'', commonly known as sea rocket and Fjörukál, is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, native to the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway (where it is extinct in Svalbard), and Russia (specifically North Euro ...

'' Pobed. *''

Cakile constricta ''Cakile'' is a genus within the flowering plant family Brassicaceae. Species in this genus are commonly known as searockets, though this name on its own is applied particularly to whatever member of the species is native or most common in th ...

'' Rodman *'' Cakile edentula'' (Bigelow) Hook. *''

Cakile geniculata ''Cakile'' is a genus within the flowering plant family Brassicaceae. Species in this genus are commonly known as searockets, though this name on its own is applied particularly to whatever member of the species is native or most common in th ...

'' (B.L.Rob.) Millsp. *''

Cakile lanceolata ''Cakile'' is a genus within the flowering plant family Brassicaceae. Species in this genus are commonly known as searockets, though this name on its own is applied particularly to whatever member of the species is native or most common in th ...

'' (Willd.) O.E.Schulz *''

Cakile maritima ''Cakile maritima'', sea rocket (Britain and Ireland)Clive Stace, ''New Flora of the British Isles'' 4th edition 2019, p 441 or European searocket (North America), is a common plant in the mustard family Brassicaceae. It is widespread in Europe ...

'' Scop.

References

*
Jepson manual treatment of the genusUSDA PLANTS database entry on ''Cakile''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q158349 Brassicaceae Brassicaceae genera Taxa named by Philip Miller