BRASSICA NIGRA

Family and Genus:- See- CRUCIFERAE

Common Name:- Black mustard

Homotypic Synonyms:- Crucifera sinapis, Melanosinapis communis,

Melanosinapis nigra, Mutarda nigra, Rhamphospermum nigrum, Sinapis

nigra, Sisymbrium nigrum.

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

Pliny for various cabbage-like plants.

Nigra (L) Black.

General description:- Annual.

Stems:-

1) Up to 200 cm, branched from the middle or from near the base.

Leaves:-

1) All leaves petiolate.

a) lower, lyrate-pinnatisect, with 1-3 pairs of lateral lobes and a much larger

terminal lobe, hispid on both surfaces.

b) upper, linear-oblong, entire or sinuate, glabrous.

Flowers:-

1) Petals, 7-13 mm, yellow.

2) Pedicels, 2·5-6 mm in fruit, appressed to the stem.

Fruit:-

1) Siliqua, 8-30 x 1·5-4·5 mm, attenuate into a slender, seedless beak.

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:- Roadsides, wasteground and other anthropogenic habitats. 0-700 m.

Distribution:- Most of Europe but commonest in the centre and south; perhaps

native in parts of S. & W. Europe. Fairly limited distribution on Crete, mainly

central-west and east.

Flowering time:- Late Mar to early June.

Photos by:- Courtesy of Wiki-Commons