Arabidopsis (rockcress) is a genus in the family Brassicaceae. They are small flowering plants related to cabbageand mustard. This genus is of great interest since it contains thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), one of the model organisms used for studying plant biology and the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced. Changes in thale cress are easily observed, making it a very useful model.
(From: Wikipedia, June 2016)