Eruca sativa mill.-A neglected naturalized wild multipurpose plant of Kashmir

Eruca sativa Mill. (Brassicaceae) is an annual naturalized wild herbaceous plant believed to have been introduced in Kashmir from Europe and found growing as a weed in fruit orchards and grass fields, occasionally in oat fields especially those on dry karewa lands and sometimes on wastelands throughout Kashmir valley. It is a minor oilseed crop in India with its oil mainly used for industrial purposes. In Kashmir, the plants flower in the month of April and mature in the months of July or August producing small round seeds which are brown in color. Plant height varied from 51.5–66.2cm, number of primary branches from 4.7–5.7, number of radical leaves from 4.5–5.9, leaf length from 9.3–13.2cm, leaf width from 1.4–1.6cm, petiole length from 2.5–3.9, siliqua length from 2.6–2.8cm, number of siliqua/plant from 145.5–163.1 and 1000-seed weight from 1.325–1.493cm. We have observed highly significant positive correlations among the traits of plant height, number of primary branches and number of siliqua/plant. The potential of the plant to be exploited as a future crop in the region is highlighted in the study.