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Black Mustard


Scientific name: Brassica nigra


Family: Brassicaceae or Mustard


Blooms: Apr–Sept


Plant Height: 0.3–2 m


Origin: Europe


Habitat: Fields and waste places

About: This is common, and easily confused with Summer Mustard. Both have variable leaves, all petioled. The lower ones are coarse, pinnately lobed and more or less toothed, while the upper cauline leaves are smaller. Black Mustard has slightly larger flowers, but the difference is not enough to notice in the field. The main differences are that the base of the Summer Mustard is hairy whereas the stem of Black Mustard is hairy only higher up; and, more significant, that the terminal sections of the fruits (both of which are appressed to the stem) are different. Black Mustard’s fruits have a smooth, cylindric terminal section, whereas Summer Mustard’s are constricted just below an expanded tip

https://montereywildflowers.com/brassicaceae-mustards/