Plant Index
Brassica nigra
Brassica nigra (L.) W.D.J. Koch
black mustard, charlock
Synonym(s): Sinapis nigra
Image ID: 33502
Image by: Lawless, Kenneth
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library
PLANT INDEX
ID_PLANT: BRNISCIENTIFIC NAME: Brassica nigra
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2017-12-22
GENUS INDEX
GENUS CODE: BRASS2GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Brassica
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Mustard
GENUS SUMMARY: Cauliflower, Kohlrabi, Rutabaga, Bok-Choy, Chinese Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts)
GENUS IDENTIFICATION:
GENUS REFERENCES: Warwick in FNA (2010); Rollins (1993)=Z; Al-Shehbaz (1985b)=Y. Key adapted from Z. [also see Erucastrum, Sinapis]
FAMILY INDEX
FAMILY CODE: BRASSIFAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Brassicaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: Burnett 1835 or CRUCIFERAE A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Mustard Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 340 genera and 3400 species, annuals, perennials, shrubs, and rarely trees and vines, of cosmopolitan distribution (but most diverse in the temperate Northern Hemisphere).
FAMILY REFERENCE: Al-Shehbaz in FNA (2010); Rollins (1993); Al-Shehbaz (1984, 1985a, 1985b, 1986, 1987, 1988a, 1988b); Appel & Al-Shehbaz in Kubitzki & Bayer (2003).
NCBG DESCRIPTIVES
INTRO: Erect annual of fields and disturbed areas. Native of Eurasia, now spread through North America.STEMS: Stems branched, with scattered hairs below, smooth and white-waxy above.
LEAVES: Leaves alternate, oblong-oval in outline, to 10 in. long, pinnately divided into pairs of toothed lateral lobes and a larger terminal lobe, often with short bristly hairs; upper leaves smaller and merely toothed or shallowly lobed.
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS: Flowers in narrow terminal racemes to 12 in. long (by fruiting), yellow, about 1/3 in. wide, consisting of 4 oblong-oval petals with blunt to rounded tips, 4 sepals (green, becoming yellow), several stamens, and a pistil.
FRUITS: Fruit a thin, erect pod pressed close to the stem.
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 1 1/2-6 ft.
DURATION: Annual
HABIT: Herb
LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate
LEAF COMPLEXITY:
LEAF RETENTION:
FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY: Radial (Actinomorphic)
BLOOM TIME: May-Aug
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| x | x | x | x | x | x |
BLOOM COLOR: Yellow
| White | Red | Pink | Orange | Yellow | Green | Blue | Lavender | Purple | Violet | Brown | Not Applicable |
| x |
FRUITING PERIOD:
DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Disturbed
NATIVE RANGE: Europe
HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text:
Bloom Table Text:
NCBG Location:
Cultural Notes:
SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average, Moist/Wet
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE:
DEER RESISTANCE:
GRIM ACCESSIONS
| acc_id | acc_num | acc_dt | coll_id | Action |
| 1243 | 1986-1015 | View |
GRIM PLANTINGS
| plt_num | acc_id | loc_num | pers_num | inst_dt | Action |
| 2149 | 1243 | 91 | NCBG staff | 0000-00-00 | View |
| 2150 | 1243 | 84 | NCBG staff | 0000-00-00 | View |
| 2151 | 1243 | 90 | NCBG staff | 0000-00-00 | View |
| 2152 | 1243 | 91 | NCBG staff | 0000-00-00 | View |
USDA PLANTS DATABASE
USDA Symbol: BRNIUSDA Common Name: Black Mustard
Native Status: L48 (I), HI (I), CAN (I)
Distribution: USA (AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, UM, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV), CAN (AB, BC, MB, NB, NF, NS, ON, PE, QC, SK)
Duration: Annual
Growth Habit: Forb/herb
WEAKLEY FLORA
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Brassica nigraCOMMON NAME: Black Mustard, Charlock
SYNONYMY: [= C, F, G, Il, K, Pa, S, Va, WH3, Y, Z; = Sinapis nigra Linnaeus]
PHENOLOGY: May-Aug.
HABITAT: Fields, disturbed areas; native of Eurasia.
COMMENTS: The seeds of this species are one source of table mustard; other species used include B. juncea and Sinapis alba.
RANGE MAP: Brassica nigra.png
Key to Map Symbols
ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Brassicaceae Burnett 1835 or CRUCIFERAE A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Mustard Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 340 genera and 3400 species, annuals, perennials, shrubs, and rarely trees and vines, of cosmopolitan distribution (but most diverse in the temperate Northern Hemisphere).
REFERENCE: Al-Shehbaz in FNA (2010); Rollins (1993); Al-Shehbaz (1984, 1985a, 1985b, 1986, 1987, 1988a, 1988b); Appel & Al-Shehbaz in Kubitzki & Bayer (2003).
ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Brassica L. (Mustard)
SUMMARY: Cauliflower, Kohlrabi, Rutabaga, Bok-Choy, Chinese Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts)
REFERENCE: Warwick in FNA (2010); Rollins (1993)=Z; Al-Shehbaz (1985b)=Y. Key adapted from Z. [also see Erucastrum, Sinapis]
HERBARIUM RESOURCES
SERNEC: Find Brassica nigra in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)UNC SERNEC: Find Brassica nigra in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
WEB RESOURCES
USDA: Find Brassica nigra in USDA PlantsNPIN: Find Brassica nigra in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Brassica nigra in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Brassica nigra
IMAGE USE RECORDS
ID IMAGE: 33502 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)ID IMAGE1: 33502 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 0 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 0 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)