ABSTRACT
This monocarpic (characteristically biennial) species occurs naturally in southern Europe, and extends northward to France. It is extensively naturalized in Britain and Ireland, in hedges, waste places, and on cliffs, in particular near the sea. It is a large herbaceous species, 50 to 150 cm high, often attaining mean dry weights of about 100 g in the field. Flowering occurs from April to June. In Roman times the plant was used both as a pot herb and vegetable. 1
