Fact Sheets

FICHES DE
RENSEIGNEMENTS

Brassica tournefortii Gouan

Family :

Famille :

Brassicaceae

Synonym(s) :

Synonyme(s) :

Coincya tournefortii (Gouan) Alcaraz, T.E.Díaz, Rivas Mart. & Sánchez-Gómez (POWO 2024).

Erucastrum tournefortii Link (WFO 2024) is used in some countries where it is native.

Common Name(s) :

Nom(s) commun(s) :

Asian Mustard

(English) (USDA 2024)
Sahara Mustard (English) (FNA 1993+)
African Mustard (English) (GBIF 2024)
Aslooz in native North Africa (Tlili et al. 2022)

  • Brassica tournefortii seeds

  • Brassica tournefortii seeds, three views

  • Brassica tournefortii seeds

  • Brassica tournefortii seed

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Overview

Aperçu

Regulation :

Remarques Réglementation:

    Regulation Notes:

    Distribution :

    Répartition :

    Brassica tournefortii is native to countries throughout the Mediterranean southeast to Pakistan as well as the Arabian Peninsula. It has also been introduced to other countries in Europe and Africa, as well as East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the Americas in Colombia, Mexico, and the USA (POWO 2024).

    In the USA, it is found in California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas (USDA 2024). It is considered invasive in the deserts of the American Southwest, particularly in creosote bush desert scrub habitats, inland sand dunes and flats, desert floodplains and riparian areas, and coastal sage scrub (Innes 2023).

    It is not found in Canada (‌Brouillet 2010+), and given its preference for the subtropical biome (POWO 2024), it may never have a significant presence there.

    Habitat and Crop Association :

    Habitat et Cultures Associées :

    Brassica tournefortii is found in roadsides, waste places, old fields, washes, and open desert areas intermixed with desert shrubs from 0 – 800m above sea level (FNA 1993+). 

    Since Brassica tournefortii prefers sandy, desert soils, it does not appear to be a major agricultural pest in most areas. However, it is considered a pest in cereal crops, especially Triticum aestivum (L.) in western and southern Australia, where it shows inhibition of Acetolactate Synthase HRAC Group 2 (Heap 2024).

    Economic Use, cultivation area, and Weed Association :

    Utilisation économique, zone de culture et association de mauvaises herbes :

    While Brassica tournefortii is not cultivated, it is a highly nutritious wild food source in its native range, where the leaves are cooked and eaten (Tlili et al. 2022). It is also rich in antioxidants like isothiocyanates and polyphenols (Rahmani et al. 2020), and it may have the potential for cancer prevention and treatment (Tlili et al. 2022).

    Duration of Life Cycle :

    Durée du cycle vital:

    Annual

    Dispersal Unit Type :

    Type d’unité de dispersion :

    Silique and seed

    General Information

    RENSEIGNEMENTS GÉNÉRAUX

    Not all sources are in agreement on the name of Brassica tournefortii, with it being under review in the World Checklist of Selected Plants (WCSP) as of 2022-04-20, where it was reported as a homotypic synonym of Coincya tournefortii (Gouan) Alcaraz, T.E.Díaz, Rivas Mart. & Sánchez-Gómez. However, many authoritative sources, including USDA-ARS (2024), still use Brassica tournefortii (Gouan).

    Brassica tournefortii is an invasive species that readily regenerates from seeds in fall or winter and flowers, fruits, and dies after seed set, often before the native plants have a chance to germinate or reproduce (Innes 2023), giving it a competitive advantage and raising concerns for its spread in the American southwest where the desert habitats are highly suitable for its establishment. Studies by the Center for Invasive Species Research (2024) showed a 90% reduction in the reproductive success of native plant species when Brassica tournefortii was present.

    Plants of B. tournefortii produce abundant seeds that persist in the seed bank and may establish themselves after a fire or other disturbance (Innes 2023). Furthermore, their seed coat becomes mucilaginous when moistened, allowing it to stick to vehicles (Trader et al. 2006), shoes, and animals, further facilitating its spread, especially along roadsides. Animals also eat and spread the seeds, and the seed pods have been observed floating and germinating on shorelines (Innes 2023).

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    Identification

    Identification

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    • Silique

      Size

      • Silique length: 3-7 cm; width: 2-4 (-5) mm (FNA 1993+)
      • Silique length: 4.5 ± 1.06 cm; width: 1.85 ± 0.54 mm (Gabr 2018)
      • Silique length: 3.5-5.5 cm; width: 0.1-0.3 mm (Abelhameed et al. 2020)
      • Terminal segment length: 10-20 mm (FNA 1993+)
      • Terminal segment length: 13.0 ± 1.09 mm (Gabr 2018)
      • Terminal segment length: up to 2 cm (Abelhameed et al. 2020)

      Shape

      • Silique is cylindrical, constricted between the seeds when mature
      • Terminal segment (‘beak’) is elongated conical-shaped, generally without constrictions

      Surface Texture

      • Silique surface with 2 longitudinal ridges on opposite sides
      • Silique is hairless

      Colour

      • Mature silique is yellowish or brownish when mature

      Other Features

      • Silique with 2 chambers (locules), and contains up to 30 seeds (Abelhameed et al. 2020)
      • Silique is dehiscent and opens along the longitudinal ridges to disperse seeds
      • The dividing wall (replum) of the silique remains on the plant when the seeds are dispersed, with the terminal segment attached
      • The terminal segment is indehiscent and generally 1 -seeded, may have up to 3 seeds (FNA 1993+)
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    • Seed

      Size

      • Seed length: 1.19-1.42 mm; width: 1.22-1.5 mm (Gabr 2018)
      • Seed length: 1.08 ± 0.08 mm; width: 1.08 ± 0.08 mm (Abelhameed et al. 2020)
      • Seed length: 1.20-1.45 mm; width: 1.25-1.5 mm (Hassan et al. 2021)

      Shape

      • Seeds are generally globose or spherical
      • Hilum is round

      Surface Texture

      • Seed surface is slightly wrinkled when fresh
      • Seeds that have been wetted and dried have a ridged reticulation pattern with small, concave interspaces
      • The hilum is slightly raised from the seed surface

      Colour

      • Seeds are reddish-brown, brown, dark grey or black coloured
      • Hilum is black coloured, partially obscured by whitish tissue
      • Seeds have a whitish reticulation pattern
      • Surface is covered with a layer of transparent tissue
      • When wetted the colour becomes brown or reddish-brown without the whitish lines

      Other Features

      • Transparent layer on the seed surface becomes sticky (mucilaginous) when wetted
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    • Embryo

      Size

      • Embryo fills the seed

      Shape

      • Embryo bent

      Endosperm

      • Nutritive tissue stored in the cotyledons

      Other Features

      • Cotyledons thin, folded

    Identification Tips

    CONSEILS POUR L’IDENTIFICATION

    Brassica tournefortii seeds have features similar to many other species of Brassica, such as globose shape, with a round, black coloured hilum, and a ridged reticulate surface texture. B. tournefortii seeds can be distinguished from these Brassica species by:

    • Small size
    • Spherical shape in some seeds
    • Whitish coloured reticulation pattern with small interspaces
    • Transparent layer on the seed surface that becomes mucilaginous when wetted

    Additional Botany Information

    AUTRES RENSEIGNEMENTS BOTANIQUES

    Flowers/Inflorescence

    • Bisexual flowers in unbranched inflorescences (racemes) (FNA 1993+).
    • Sepals 4; 5–4.5 × 1–1.5 mm (FNA 1993+).
    • Petals 4; pale yellow or occasionally white; lanceolate but wider at the tip (oblanceolate); 4–7 × 1.5–2(–2.5) mm with a 1-3 mm claw at the base and rounded tips (FNA 1993+).
    • Stamens 6 tetradynamous; usually 4 long and 2 short like many Brassica spp; filaments 2.5–4 mm; anthers 1–1.3 mm (FNA 1993+).
    • The pistil is stalked (gynophore) to 1 mm (FNA 1993+). 

    Vegetative Features

    • Stems usually branched from base and widely branched towards tips; (10)30–70(100) cm tall; densely hairy with long, stiff hairs (hirsute), becoming hairless towards the tips (FNA 1993+).
    • Persistent basal rosette of leaves; broad petioles 2–10 cm long; blade lyre-shaped with broadly divided upper lobes becoming narrower and less divided towards the base, or cut all the way to the midrib; 4–10 lobes each side (FNA 1993+) or up to 14 lobes (Guertin 2003). Blades are 2–30 cm long by 1–5(10) cm wide, with sharp to square-toothed teeth on the margins and long stiff hairs on the surfaces (FNA 1993+).
    • Upper stem leaves are sessile, becoming reduced in size and almost bract-like towards the tips; the blade base is tapered, not lobed (FNA 1993+).
    • The persistent basal leaves, with their often 10 or more lobes and long stiff-hairy (hirsute) surfaces, will help distinguish it from others of its genus.

    Similar Species

    ESPÈCES SEMBLABLES

    Similar species are based on a study of seed morphology of various species, and those with similar dispersal units are identified. The study is limited by physical specimen and literature availability at the time of examination, and possibly impacted by the subjectivity of the authors based on their knowledge and experience. Providing similar species information for seed identification is to make users aware of similarities that could possibly result in misidentification.

    Sinapis arvensis L.

    The seeds of S. arvensis are generally larger (diameter: (1–)1.5–2 mm, FNA 1993+) than B. tournefortii, but the size range may overlap. S. arvensis seed shape may be slightly compressed at the hilum end with reticulation ridges the same colour as the seed compared to the generally globose or spherical seeds of B. tournefortii with a transparent tissue layer and whitish reticulation lines.

    Brassica fruticulosa Cirillo

    The seeds of B. fruticulosa are generally smaller (diameter: 0.6-1.2 mm, FNA 1993+) than B. tournefortii, but the size range may overlap. The reticulation ridges are more narrow, and lack the transparent tissue layer seen in B. tournefortii seeds. B. fruticulosa seeds are not mucilaginous when wetted (FNA 1993+).

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    Reference(s)

    Référence(s)

    Abdelhameed, A., Amer, W., Hassan, W. and Aboellil, A. 2020. Auto-taxonomy of Brassica tournefortii Gouan. (Brassicaceae) in Egypt. Bangladesh Journal of Plant Taxonomy 27: 233-250.

    Brouillet L, Desmet P, Coursol F, Meades SJ, Favreau M, Anions M, Bélisle P, Gendreau C, Shorthouse D, (2010+). Database of Vascular Plants of Canada (VASCAN). Online at http://data.canadensys.net/vascan Accessed February 18, 2024.

    Center for Invasive Species Research. 2024. Sahara Mustard. University of California, Riverside – Center for Invasive Species Research. https://cisr.ucr.edu/invasive-species/sahara-mustard Accessed February 18, 2024.

    Flora of North America (FNA) Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico [Online]. 22+ vols. New York and Oxford. http://beta.floranorthamerica.org Accessed October 22, 2024.

    Gabr, D.G. 2018. Significance of fruit and seed coat morphology in taxonomy and Identification for some species of Brassicaceae. American Journal of Plant Sciences 9:380-402.

    Global Invasive Species Database (2024) Species profile: Brassica tournefortii. http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/species.php?sc=819 Accessed on February 18, 2024.

    Guertin, Patricia. 2003. Fact Sheet for Brassica tournefortii. Funded by USGS Weeds in the West project: Status of Introduced Plants in Southern Arizona Parks, December 31, 2003. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51481c79e4b07ce921202012/t/61be4321bc1f33115124ede4/1639858979218/USGS+Weeds+in+the+West+project.pdf

    Heap, I. 2024. The International Herbicide-Resistant Weed Database. Online. Available at www.weedscience.org Accessed February 18, 2024.

    Innes, Robin J. 2023. Brassica tournefortii, Sahara mustard. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/forb/bratou/all.html

    Plants of the World Online (POWO). 2024. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published at: http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ Accessed February 18, 2024.

    Rahmani, R., Bouajila, J., Jouaidi, M., & Debouba, M. 2020. African mustard (Brassica tournefortii) as source of nutrients and nutraceuticals properties. Journal of food science, 85(6), 1856–1871. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.15157

    Tlili, H., Arfa, A. B., Boubakri, A., Hanen, N., Neffati, M., & Doria, E. 2022. Biochemical Composition and Biological Activities of Various Population of Brassica tournefortii Growing Wild in Tunisia. Plants, 11(23). https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11233393

    Trader, M. R., Brooks, M. L., Draper, J. V., Li, Y. M., Dlugosch, K. M., Enquist, B. J., Pardini, E. A., Teller, B. J., & Knight, T. M. 2006. Seed Production By The Non-Native Brassica tournefortii (Sahara Mustard) Along Desert Roadsides. Madroño, 53(4), 313-320. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41425661

    United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Services (USDA-ARS). 2024. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomysearch Accessed February 18, 2022.

    United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS). 2024. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA. https://plants.usda.gov/home Accessed February 18, 2024.

    World Flora Online (WFO). 2024. Published on the Internet; http://www.worldfloraonline.org Accessed February 18, 2024.

    Author(s)

    AUTEUR(S)

    Lyrae Willis, Environmental Science Freelance Writer

    Jennifer Neudorf, Canadian Food Inspection Agency