It is sometimes conflated with Diplotaxis tenuifolia, known as “perennial wall rocket,” another plant of the family Brassicaceae that is used in the same manner. The pinnate leaves are deeply lobed arugula substitute four to ten small lateral lobes and a large terminal lobe.

The petals are creamy white with purple veins, and the stamens are yellow. The Latin adjective sativa in the plant’s binomial name is derived from satum, the supine of the verb sero, meaning “to sow,” indicating that the seeds of the plant were sown in gardens. United States and Canada, entered American English from a nonstandard dialect of Italian. The standard Italian word is rucola. Eruca vesicaria typically grows on dry, disturbed ground.

A pungent, leafy green vegetable resembling a longer-leaved and open lettuce, Eruca vesicaria is rich in vitamin C and potassium. In addition to the leaves, the flowers, young seed pods, and mature seeds are all edible. Rocket was traditionally collected in the wild or grown in home gardens along with such herbs as parsley and basil. It is now grown commercially in many places and is available in supermarkets and farmers’ markets worldwide. It is also naturalized as a wild plant away from its native range in temperate regions around the world, including northern Europe and North America.