Arabis petiolata Marschall von Bieberstein, Fl. Taur.-Caucas. 2: 126. 1808; Alliaria officinalis Andrzejowski ex Marschall von Bieberstein; Erysimum alliaria Linnaeus; Sisymbrium alliaria (Linnaeus) Scopoli.

Herbs biennial, with garlicy smell when crushed. Stems erect, (15-)30-90(-130) cm tall, simple or branched above, glabrous or pilose basally with trichomes to 1.5 mm. Basal leaves rosulate, withered by fruiting; petiole 3-10(-16) cm; leaf blade reniform or cordate, (0.6-)1.5-5(-7) cm wide, shorter in length, base cordate, margin crenate or dentate, glabrous or pilose. Cauline leaves with much shorter petioles, ovate, cordate, or deltoid, to 15 × 15 cm, base cordate or truncate, margin acutely to obtusely toothed, apex acute. Racemes ebracteate or rarely lowermost flowers bracteate. Fruiting pedicels divaricate or ascending, (2-)3-10(-15) mm, nearly as thick as fruit. Sepals oblong, (2-)2.5-3.5(-4.5) × 0.7-1.5 mm. Petals white, oblanceolate, (2.5-)4-8(-9) × (1.5-)2-3(-3.5) mm, attenuate to clawlike base. Filaments 2-3.5(-4.5) mm; anthers oblong, 0.7-1 mm. Fruit linear, (2-)3-7(-8) cm × 1.2-2.5 mm, subtorulose, quadrangular or subterete, divaricate-ascending; valves glabrous; style (0.2-)1-2(-3) mm. Seeds brown or black, narrowly oblong, 2-4.5 × 0.7-2 mm, longitudinally striate. Fl. Apr-Jun, fr. May-Jul. 2n = 36, 42.

Waste places, roadsides, fields, woodlands, river banks. Xinjiang, Xizang [Afghanistan, India, Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; native to SW Asia and Europe; naturalized elsewhere].