Rapistrum

(bastard cabbage), a genus of plants of the family Cruciferae. The plants are annual, biennial, or perennial herbs measuring 60–100 cm in height. They are branched and have stiff hairs. The lower leaves are pinnate, and the upper leaves entire. The petals are yellow. The fruit is a silicle with two segments. The lower segment is cylindrical, and the upper one is ovate or globose. There are three species, distributed in Europe, Western Asia, Central Asia, and North Africa. The USSR has two species—perennial bastard cabbage (R. perenne) and bastard cabbage (R. rugosum)—which grow primarily in southern regions on dry slopes and hills. They also grow as weeds among crops, along roads, and at garbage dumps.