General:
Annual herb from a taproot; stems glabrous or somewhat glaucous, 0.1-1.0 m tall, branched.
Leaves:
Basal leaves stalked, pinnately cleft with the terminal lobe the largest, 2-3 pairs of lateral lobes or occasionally none, toothed, up to 25 cm long, early deciduous; reduced upward and eventually unstalked, not ear-like at the bases.
Flowers:
In terminal clusters, up to 40 cm long; flower stalks 10-15 mm long, spreading-ascending; petals pale yellow, 8-12 mm long; sepals 4-6 mm long.
Fruits:
Siliques, spreading-ascending, 2-4 cm long, 2-3 mm wide, the midnerve less prominent than the seams of dehiscence; beak 5-10 mm long, slender; seeds about 2 mm long, finely net-veined and honeycombed.
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Flower Colour:
Yellow
Blooming Period:
Early Spring
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Black
Present over the Summer
Source: The USDA
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Brassica integrifolia (Vahl) Schulz, non Rupr.
Brassica japonica Thunb.
Brassica juncea var. crispifolia Bailey
Brassica juncea var. japonica (Thunb.) Bailey
Brassica willdenowii Boiss.
Sinapis juncea