Habit***: mostly herbs with mustard-oils (spicy or peppery)
Leaves: alternate, simple or pinnate, estipulate
Inflorescence***: bractless racemes
Flowers: perfect, regular
Sepals: 4, distinct
Petals***: 4, distinct; alternate family name describes position of 4 lobes cross-like
Stamens***: 6; 4 with long filaments and 2 with short filaments
Ovary***: superior, of 2 carpels with 2 locules and parietal placentation; locules divided by a persistent membrane (replum)
Fruit: silicle or silique
Diversity: 350 genera/3000 species
Distribution: cosmopolitan with most species in the north temerate zone
Economics: garden vegetables: 1 species (Brassica oleracea) cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi, kale, brussels sprouts; mustard, radish, turnips also in this family; rapeseed oil; drug flagil
Draba
Erysimum
Lepidium