Field
Mustard - Brassica rapa
Family: Brassicaceae
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Description
Field mustard is an annual, winter annual, or biennial with erect stems
up to 1 m tall. The stems are glabrous or nearly so and commonly glaucous.
The basal leaves are petioled with lyrate-pinnatifid blades. The lower
cauline leaves are similar to the basal leaves. The upper cauline leaves
become oblong to lanceolate, entire to dentate, and are sessile to clasping.
The inflorescence is a raceme. The flowers are yellow with four petals.
The fruit is a silique 4-7 cm long, terete or nearly so having a beak
up to 2 cm long. The siliques are on long pedicels up to 3 cm long. The
valves are one-nerved with two delicate lateral nerves. The seeds are
minutely roughened, round or slightly compressed laterally, reddish-gray
1-2 mm in diameter.
Interesting facts
The plant is an aggressive weed and has been reported to be poisonous
to livestock.
Links to more information
US Army Corp Noxious Plant
Database
Website, video, and graphics by Rob Nelson
For more information on this plant or management please contact US Army Corp of Engineers
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