Hesperis matronalis

Hesperis matronalis

Apparently Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Hesperis
Species:
H. matronalis
Binomial name
Hesperis matronalis
Subspecies
  • Hesperis matronalis subsp. candida (Kit.) Hegi & Em.Schmid
  • Hesperis matronalis subsp. cladotricha (Borbás) Hayek
  • Hesperis matronalis subsp. matronalis
  • Hesperis matronalis subsp. nivea (Baumg.) E.P.Perrier
  • Hesperis matronalis subsp. schurii Soó
  • Hesperis matronalis subsp. sintenisii (F.Dvořák) A.Duran
  • Hesperis matronalis subsp. vrabelyiana (Schur) Soó

Hesperis matronalis is an herbaceous flowering plant species in the family Brassicaceae. It has numerous common names, including dame's rocket, damask-violet, dame's-violet, dames-wort, dame's gilliflower, night-scented gilliflower, queen's gilliflower, rogue's gilliflower, sweet rocket, and mother-of-the-evening.

These plants are biennials or short-lived perennials, native to Eurasia and cultivated in many other areas of the world for their attractive, spring-blooming flowers. In some of those areas, it has escaped from cultivation and become a weed species. The genus name Hesperis was probably given because the scent of the flowers becomes more conspicuous towards evening (Hespera is the Greek word for evening).