Sinapis arvensis
L.
Charlock, Field mustard
(c) bwganbrain, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) bwganbrain, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) bwganbrain, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves, Seeds, Flowers, Stems
Leaves can be eaten raw or cooked and have a somewhat hot flavour. Young leaves add a pleasant piquancy to salads, while older leaves work better as a potherb. It is best to use only young shoots and leaves in spring, as older growth becomes bitter. Flowering stems, cooked before the flowers open, have a pleasant cabbage and radish flavour and can be used as a broccoli substitute — they should be lightly steamed for no more than 5 minutes. The flowers can be cooked as a vegetable or used as a garnish. The seed can be sprouted and eaten raw with a hot flavour, suitable for salads and sandwiches, or ground into a powder and used as a hot mustard-flavoured seasoning. An edible oil is also obtained from the seed.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant. In western China it grows between 400-1,800 m above sea level. Tasmania Herbarium.
Afghanistan, Africa, Argentina, Armenia, Asia, Australia, Bahamas, Balkans, Bosnia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Caucasus, Central America, Central Asia, Chile, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Estonia, Europe, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Hungary, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Luxembourg, Mediterranean, Middle East, Mongolia, Morocco, New Zealand, North Africa, North America, Norway, Pacific, Pakistan, Palestine, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russia, Scandinavia, Sicily, Slovenia, South America, Spain, Sweden, Syria, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, USA, West Indies, Zimbabwe,
How to Identify
A cabbage family herb. It is an erect annual plant. The mature plant is 80 cm to 1.4 m high. The leaves are 5-15 cm long and 2-5 cm wide. They are hairy and there are teeth around the edge. There can be lobes near the base. The flowers are yellow and are clustered along the stem. The fruit is like a pod and is about 2 cm long. The valves on the fruit contain 3-5 distinct petals. The pods have more than 10 seeds.
How to Grow
Usually found on heavy alkaline soils in the wild. Succeeds on most soils. Dislikes shade. The plant harbours an eelworm that attacks other crops. It is therefore best not to grow it in a garden setting.
Propagation: Seed germinates naturally in spring and autumn and should not require much encouragement to establish.
Medicinal Uses
The plant is used in Bach flower remedies — the keywords for prescribing it are 'Black depression', 'Melancholia' and 'Gloom'.
Other Uses
An edible semi-drying oil obtained from the seed is also used in soap making and burns well enough to serve as a lighting oil.
Wikipedia
Wild mustard is a fast-growing annual reaching 0.8m tall. Hardy to UK zone 6, it flowers May to July with seeds ripening May to August. The plant has both male and female organs and is bee and fly pollinated. It suits light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils, tolerating very alkaline pH, requires full sun, prefers moist soil, and tolerates strong winds but not coastal exposure.
Names & Synonyms
Akersennep, Alassani, Elharra, Elkelkaza, Ermulata, Gorusica, Hardal, Hardalotu, Khardal barri, Liffaiteh, Mostacita, Mostarda, Mostaza salvaje, Mostaza silvestre, Njivska gorčica, Offaiteh, Ohnica, Rabcsont, Rapa, Repce, Sinapa sarvaggia, Sinape selvaggia, Slacica, Telg, Tolk, Xertele, Yenen hardal
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