Goldbachia laevigata (M.Bieb.) DC.

Goldbachia species are annual, biennial herbs, usually glabrous. Rootstocks slender taproot. Stem erect, leafy, branched from the base and above, glabrous. Basal leaves simple, in rosulate or not, oblanceolate-elliptic to oblong, base cuneate, margin entire, dentate or lyrately pinnatifid, apex acute to obtuse, petiole short, cauline leaves, base amplexicaul or auriculate, margins entire or dentate, petiole sessile. Inflorescence racemes, few to many flowered, lax, elongated in fruit, ebracteate. Flowers bisexual, white, pink, actinomorphic, pedicel erect, filiform, deflexed or recurved, ascending, sepals 4, subequal, suberect, ovate-oblong, lateral pair base not saccate, apex obtuse, petals 4, obovate-spathulate, base cuneate, margin entire, apex obtuse, usually not clawed. Stamens 6, slightly tetradynamous, lateral filaments filiform, median filaments flattened at the base, anthers ovate, nectar glands 4, confluent or free. Ovary superior, linear, ellipsoid-cylindrical, sessile, bicarpellary, syncarpous, pubescent, ovules 1-3. Fruit silicles, indehiscent, erecto-patent, linear-ellipsoid, curved upwards, compressed, terete, breaking into single seeded nutlets, valves 1 veined flat, veins obscure or distinct, septum complete, style obsolete, stigma capitate, bilobed or entire. Seeds uniseriate, compressed or not, brown, oblong-ovoid, winged, smooth, not mucilaginous when soaked, cotyledons incumbent.

Goldbachia species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: May—June.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Annual herbs, glabrous, about 15-40 cm tall. Rootstocks slender taproot. Stem erect, leafy, branched from the base and above, glabrous. Basal leaves simple, in rosulate or not, oblanceolate-obovate to oblong, about 2.5-18 x 0.5-3.5 cm across, base cuneate, margin subentire, sinuately dentate or lyrately pinnatifid, apex obtuse, petiole short, cauline leaves, becoming smaller towards the shoot, linear oblong to lanceolate, about 1-5 x 0.5-1.5 cm across, base auriculate, margins entire or dentate, petiole sessile. Inflorescence racemes, 10 to 30 flowered, lax, up to 25 long in fruit, elongated in fruit, ebracteate. Flowers bisexual, white, pink, pale purplish, pedicel erect, filiform, deflexed or recurved, articulate at the base, up to 10 mm long, sepals 4, subequal, suberect, ovate-oblong, lateral pair base not saccate, apex obtuse, about 1.5-2 x 0.4-0.75 mm across, petals 4, obovate-oblanceolate, base cuneate, margin entire, apex obtuse, about 3-4 mm long, usually not clawed. Stamens 6, slightly tetradynamous, lateral filaments filiform, median filaments flattened at the base, anthers ovate, nectar glands 4, confluent or free. Ovary superior, linear, ellipsoid-cylindrical, sessile, bicarpellary, syncarpous, ovules 1-3. Fruit silicles, indehiscent, erecto-patent, linear-ellipsoid, curved upwards, slightly quadrangular, terete, subcompressed, about 10-12 x 2-4 mm across, breaking into single seeded nutlets, veins obscure or distinct, septum complete, style obsolete, stigma bilobed or entire. Seed 1-3, uniseriate, compressed or not, brown, oblong-ovoid, winged, about 2.5-3 x 1 mm across, smooth, not mucilaginous when soaked, cotyledons incumbent.

Goldbachia species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus, mildews and moulds.

Road sides and waste places, altitude up to 1400 m.

Not evaluated (IUCN).