Sinapis arvensis
 
Wild Mustard

Stem

Regina
01-July-2020

Mustard condiment is produced from cultivars of Sinapis alba, Brassica nigra, or Brassica juncea. Canola oil is produced from cultivars of Brassica napus, Brassica rapa or Brassica juncea.

Arvensis: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Vascular Flora of Alberta: An Illustrated Guide leading to this species. 

middle and upper leaves (at least) merely toothed; NOT [most leaves deeply pinnately lobed]

pods approximately 2 mm thick; NOT [pods approximately 4 mm thick]

pods usually glabrous; NOT [pods densely pubescent]

beak of pod approximately half as long as the body; NOT [beak usually longer than the body]

 

Sinapis: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Vascular Flora of Alberta: An Illustrated Guide leading to this genus. 

plants of dry habitats; NOT [plants of wet habitats]

hairs, when present, simple; NOT [hairs attached at the middle, sessile, appressed, malpighian or stellate]

plants without stalked glands; NOT [plants with many-celled, stalked glands]

prominent cauline leaves present; NOT [leaves mostly basal or lower cauline]

cauline leaves usually short petiolate (at least distally); NOT [cauline leaves more or less clasping, auriculate or sagittate at base]

cauline leaves simple (sometimes deeply cut, but the blade continuous between lobes); NOT [stem leaves divided into leaflets]

raceme mostly without bracts; NOT [raceme with small leafy bracts at the base of most flowers]

flowers smaller than 30-40 mm across

sepals spreading to reflexed; NOT [sepals usually erect or ascending, rarely spreading]

petals present; NOT [petals absent]

petals yellow

petals with veins of the same color intensity as the rest of the blade; NOT [petals with dark, purple or brown veins]

pods usually at least 4 times as long as wide; NOT [pods usually not more than 3 times as long as wide]

pods not compressed at right angles to the central partition; NOT [pods compressed at right angles to the central partition]

pods circular in cross section; NOT [pods flattened]

pods with 3-7 prominent veins per side; NOT [pods with 1 prominent vein per side]

pods with a long, distinct beak; NOT [pods scarcely beaked ]

beak conspicuously flattened; NOT [beak more or less rounded]

beak often containing a seed; NOT [beak seedless]

pods opening lengthwise via separation of two valves, not breaking up cross ways along constrictions between seeds

seeds in a single row; NOT [seeds more or less in 2 rows]

seeds plump; NOT [seeds flat]

 

Cruciferae: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora  leading to this family. 

herbs; NOT [shrubs or trees]

plants terrestrial or semiaquatic; NOT [plants aquatic, leaves submerged or floating]

plants not with colored milky juice

plants with more than one normal leaf

some or all leaves alternate; NOT [leaves opposite, whorled, or basal]

leaves without stipules, or having glands; NOT [leaves with stipules]

flowers with two floral rings

calyx regular; NOT [calyx irregular, some sepals smaller than others]

sepals 4

corolla regular in shape; NOT [corolla irregular in shape]

each petal distinct from the others

petals 4

stamens 6, four long and two short

ovary superior; NOT [ovary inferior]

carpels 1 or 2