Barbarea vulgaris, also called wintercress (usual common name), or alternatively herb barbara, rocketcress, yellow rocketcress, winter rocket, yellow rocket, and wound rocket, is a biennial herb of the genus Barbarea, belonging to the family Brassicaceae. Description This plant grows to about high, with a maximum of . The stem is ribbed and hairless, branched at the base. It has basal rosettes of shiny, dark green leaves. The basal leaves are stalked and lyre-pinnatifid, that is with a large terminal lobe and smaller lower lobes. The cauline leaves are smaller, ovate, toothed, or lobed. The flowers are borne in spring in dense terminal clusters above the foliage. They are long, with four bright yellow petals. The flowering period extends from about April through July. The fruit is a pod around . Chemical substances in this species include saponins, flavonoids, and glucosinolates. Taxonomy Formally, B. vulgaris was first published and described by William Aiton in his 'Hortus Kewensis' Vol.4 on page 109 in 1812. Some references still mention Robert Brown (Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)), as the author. Indeed, botanists believe that R. Brown was the actual author of the first botanical description of B. vulgaris in the description of the family Brassicaceae (in Hortus Kew. ed. 2). However, W. T. Aiton, the publishing author, did not mention or indicate R. Brown's name for Brassicaceae; therefore, W. T. Aiton is author of the Brassicaceae novelties in this work. B. vulgaris has various common names of which the most commonly used is 'wintercress' (e.g. Gleason, H.A. Illustrated Flora of the NE United States and Adjacent Canada, 1952), which can also be used for the entire genus Barbarea. Many other common names are listed in various sources, including (in alphabetical order), 'cressy-greens', 'English wintercress', 'herb-Barbaras', 'rocket cress', and 'yellow rocket'. Two additional names sometimes used, 'bittercress' and 'upland cress' are ambiguous; the name 'bittercress' usually signifies various species of the genus Cardamine, and 'upland cress' usually signifies Barbarea verna. Etymology The genus name Barbarea derives from Saint Barbara, the patron saint of artillerymen and miners, as this plant in the past was used to soothe the wounds caused by explosions. The species Latin name vulgaris means “common”. Natural insect resistance and its potential use in agriculture Most B. vulgaris genotypes are naturally resistant to some insect species that are otherwise specialized on the crucifer family. In the case of diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) and