BRASSICA CRETICA subsp. CRETICA

Family and Genus:- See- CRUCIFERAE

Common Name:- Black mustard

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Brassica (L) A name used by the Roman naturalist and philosopher

Pliny for various cabbage-like plants.

Cretica (L) From Crete, Cretan.

General description:- Perennial.

Stems:-

1) 80-120(-150), branching from the base.

Leaves:-

1) Basal, 10-15 cm, lyrate or spathulate; terminal lobe broad and rounded or

narrowly elongate, crenate or dentate, glabrous or with a few hairs on margins.

a) petioles, not more than 1/3 as long as the lamina;.

3) Cauline, usually auriculate at the base.

Flowers:-

1) Petals, 7-13 mm, white or pale yellow.

Fruit:-

1) Siliqua, 30-70(-90) x 3-5 mm, linear, attenuate into a beak 5-10 mm, usually as

broad as the siliqua at the base.

Key features:-

1) Upper cauline leaves, sessile or petiolate, not amplexicaul at the base.

2) Siliqua, appressed to stem.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Limestone cliffs of northern exposure or in gorges, also on flat stone

pavement of small non-grazed ravines 0-1100 m.

Distribution:- East Aegean Is., Greece, Crete, Lebanon-Syria, Palestine, Turkey.

Fairly widespread across Crete.

Flowering time:- Mar-May(-June). or later

Photo by:- Fotis Samaritakis