On our five day visit to the Channel Islands of Guernsey and Jersey this was the first flowering plant we saw as we got out of the car near the botanically rich L'Ancresse Common. It isn't easy when the first plant you're confronted with is a yellow crucifer but one sniff of the crushed leaves had this one pinned down. They aren't smelly as as those of its annual cousin D. muralis but there is still that familiar faintly nauseous pong.

D. tenuifolia is common in the south east of England and there are concentrations elsewhere such as the estuary of the River Severn and the north west but otherwise it is dotted about in England. Records diminish as you go north such that there is little in central and northern Scotland. It is virtually unknown in Ireland.

Edge of L'Ancresse common, Guernsey, 18th June 2004

Added on December 9th 2004, updated 13th December 2008, updated 28th March 2010