Wild mustard
June 16, 2015
Sinapis arvensis L. Brassicaceae (Mustard family)
Life cycle
Erect winter or summer annual.
Leaves
Seedlings have smooth, kidney-shaped cotyledons and prominently veined, bristly hairy leaves that initially develop from a basal rosette. Lower leaves are irregularly lobed and toothed with petioles; upper leaves are alternate, stalkless to short-stalked with coarsely toothed margins and pointed tips, and gradually become smaller toward the top.
Stems
Erect, up to 3-foot-tall stems bolt from a basal rosette to flower. Stems are bristly-hairy at the base, often branched and nearly hairless at the top.
Flowers and fruit
Bright yellow flowers with four petals are found in terminal clusters. Fruit are 1- to 2-inch-long, cylinder-shaped capsules with a four-angled beak at the tip that contain round, black to purple seeds.
Reproduction
Seeds.
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