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Sinapis alba L.

Overview
General Information
ID Info
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Family :

Famille :

Brassicaceae 

Synonym(s) :

Synonyme(s) :

Brassica alba (L.) Rabenh. (POWO 2024; USDA-NRCS 2024)
Brassica hirta Moench (FNA 1993+)
Rorippa coloradensis Stuckey (FNA 1993+)

Common Name(s) :

Nom(s) commun(s) :

White mustard

(English) (USDA-ARS 2024)
Charlock, kedlock, rough mustard, tame mustard (English) (CFIA 2022)
Moutarde blanche (French) (USDA-ARS 2024)
Weißer Senf (German) (USDA-ARS 2024)

White mustard (Sinapis alba) seeds

  • White mustard (Sinapis alba) seeds

  • White mustard (Sinapis alba) seed

  • White mustard (Sinapis alba) seed

  • White mustard (Sinapis alba) seed

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Overview

Aperçu

Regulation :

Remarques Réglementation:

    Regulation Notes:

    Distribution :

    Répartition :

    Sinapis alba is native to much of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Southeast Asia; it has been introduced to the rest of Europe, Japan, Greenland, Iceland, and parts of Russia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas (POWO 2024; USDA-ARS 2024).

    Of the three subspecies of Sinapis alba, only subsp. alba has naturalized in the New World (FNA 1993+; CFIA 2022).

    In Canada, Sinapis alba has been introduced everywhere except Nunavut, Newfoundland, and the Northwest Territories (Brouillet et al. 2010+).

    In the United States, Sinapis alba has been introduced to almost every state except Nevada, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Virginia, Georgia, and South Carolina; it is also found in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands (USDA-NRCS 2024).

    Habitat and Crop Association :

    Habitat et Cultures Associées :

    Sinapis alba grows primarily in the temperate biome (POWO 2024). While it mainly grows as a volunteer in agricultural areas, it occasionally escapes cultivation and grows on roadsides, waste places, disturbed areas, gardens, and orchards from 0 to 1000 m above sea level (FNA 1993+; CFIA 2022).

    Sinapis alba mainly grows as volunteers where it was previously cultivated (CFIA 2022), so it is not a common crop pest. However, it is weedier in its native range, where it has developed herbicide resistance to tribenuron-methyl herbicides in cereal crops in Cypress and in Triticum aestivum L. (wheat) crops in Spain (Heap 2024).

    Economic Use, cultivation area, and Weed Association :

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

    The Food and Agricultural Organization (2023) reports that 848,447 hectares of “mustard seed” were grown in 2022, yielding 852,807 metric tonnes. Harvest is evenly distributed between Asia, the Americas, and Europe, with the top ten producing countries being Canada, Nepal, Malaysia, Russia, Myanmar, Ukraine, the United States, Czechia, China, and Hungary. The mustard seed they refer to is made of two species: Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. (brown mustard) and Sinapis alba (white mustard) (CFIA 2022). In Europe, Sinapis alba is the most widely used mustard species and it is the only species used in commercial production in North America (Mitrović et al. 2020).

    The seeds of Sinapis alba are high in protein and oil and low in starch, with a well-balanced amino acid profile (Mitrović et al. 2020). They have been used for thousands of years as a condiment, a pickling spice, and as a food preservative and binding agent in meat processing, salad dressings, and mayonnaise (FNA 1993+; Rahman et al. 2018; Mitrović et al. 2020; CFIA 2022). The greens are also grown for fodder, nutritious salad greens, and as a green manure to enrich agricultural soils (MSU Extension 2011; Rahman et al. 2018; Mitrović et al. 2020).

    The oil made from the seed is also used in cooking as a condiment and flavouring agent as well as a preservative due to its high anti-microbial activity (Peng et al., 2014; Kostić et al. 2018; Rahman et al. 2018). The oil contains mainly oleic, linoleic, linolenic and erucic acid and is used in industry in soaps, as a lubricant, as a diesel fuel additive, and is being investigated for its use as a feedstock for biodiesel production (FNA 1993+; Kostić et al. 2018; Mitrović et al. 2020).

    Lloyd Library (2022) reports that Sinapis alba has a long history of medicinal use. Hippocrates used mustard packs to relieve congestion and treat respiratory conditions. It was used in ancient Egypt and Rome as a medicine and healing ointment. Numerous cultures used it for arthritis and cardiovascular illnesses. The oil has been used in Nepal as an infant massage to protect infants’ skin and stimulate warmth.

    The essential oil is still used in traditional medicine for its anti-tumor, antiviral, antimicrobial, analgesic, expectorant, and stimulant properties and are frequently used for digestive and respiratory ailments (Sujatha et al. 2013; Peng et al. 2014; Kostić et al. 2018). The oil has been proven to have strong antimicrobial activity against three Gram-positive and six Gram-negative bacteria (Peng et al., 2014).

    Problematic weeds of Sinapis alba crops include Sonchus asper (L.) Hill (annual sow thistle), Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. (Canada thistle), Convolvulus arvensis L. (field bindweed), Bassia scoparia (L.) A. J. Scott (kochia), Sonchus arvensis L. (perennial sow thistle), Avena fatua L. (wild oat), Fallopia convolvulus (L.) Á. Löve (wild buckwheat), Galium aparine L. (cleavers), Neslia paniculata (L.) Desv. (ball mustard), Senecio vulgaris L. (common groundsel), Gypsophila vaccaria (L.) Sm. (cow cockle), Taraxacum officinale F. H. Wigg. (dandelion), Erucastrum gallicum (Willd.) O. E. Schulz (dog mustard), Crepis tectorum L. (narrow-leaved hawk’s beard), Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. (shepherd’s purse), Thlaspi arvense L. (stinkweed), Erodium cicutarium (L.) LʼHér. (stork’s bill), Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn. (tartary buckwheat), Brassica napus L. subsp. napus (volunteer canola), and Sinapis arvensis L. (wild mustard) (CFIA 2022).

    Duration of Life Cycle :

    Durée du cycle vital:

    Annual

    Dispersal Unit Type :

    Type d’unité de dispersion :

    Seed

    General Information

    RENSEIGNEMENTS GÉNÉRAUX

    Sinapis alba has 3 accepted subspecies: Sinapis alba subsp. alba, Sinapis alba subsp. dissecta (Lag.) Simonk., and Sinapis alba subsp. mairei (H.Lindb.) Maire (CFIA 2022; POWO 2024).

    Sinapis alba cannot self-pollinate and requires cross-pollination from wind and insects, with crop yields increasing significantly when insect pollinators are present (Śnieżko & Winiarczyk 1996; Masierowska & Piętka 2014). The flowers are adapted to pollination by short-tongued bees and flies, including wild bees (Apidae), anthomyias (Anthomyiidae), honey bees (Apis mellifera), flower flies (Syrphidae), golden-eyed flies (Chrysophidae), lady beetles (Coccinellidae) and bumblebees (Naumkin and Velkova 2013).

    Sinapis alba does not exhibit the weedy characteristics of its wild relative, Sinapis arvensis (CFIA 2022). It may be less likely to become problematic because of its resistance to seed shatter and low level of seed dormancy. However, weedy forms do occur in its native Mediterranean area and in some regions where it is grown as a green manure crop.

    No successful natural hybridization has been observed between Sinapis alba and any other species, and purposeful attempts to hybridize are generally unsuccessful since many of the related species, including Sinapis arvensis, do not share the same number of chromosomes, reducing sexual compatibility (CFIA 2024).

    .

    A large field of Sinapis alba in Poland (Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org)

    Identification

    Identification

    <
    >

    • Pod (Silique)

      Size

      Silique size:

      • Silique length: (1.5–)2–4.2(–5) cm; width: (2–)3–5.5(–6.5) mm (FNA 1993+)
      • Silique length: 20-40 mm; width: 3-6.5 mm (Gómez-Campo 1993)
      • Silique length: 2-3 cm (DiTomaso and Healy 2007)

      Valve (body) segment of silique size:

      • Valve segment length: (0.5–)0.7–1.7(–2) cm (FNA 1993+)
      • Valve segment length: 10-20 mm (Gómez-Campo 1993)

      Rostrum (end) segment size:

      • Rostrum segment length: (1–)1.5–2.5(–3) cm (FNA 1993+)
      • Rostrum segment length: 15-30 mm (Gómez-Campo 1993)

      Shape

      • Silique is linear or elongated teardrop-shaped, slightly curved
      • The valve segment (attached to the plant) is terete, slightly compressed or constricted between the seeds
      • The rostrum segment (attached at the end) is generally curved to one side and pointed at the end
      • The rostrum segment is strongly compressed, or constricted between seeds, if any occur (Gómez-Campo 1993)

      Surface Texture

      • Silique surface is generally hairless in S. alba subsp. dissecta (Lag.) Simonk., hairy in S. alba L. subsp. alba and S. alba subsp. mairei (H. Lindb.) Maire (Gómez-Campo 1993)
      • Hairs are a mix of dense short hairs and scattered long hairs, giving a bristly appearance
      • Silique surface is smooth with 3-5(-7) longitudinal nerves (FOC 2024)

      Colour

      • Silique is yellow when mature, the rostrum segment may have a purplish wash

      Other Features

      • The main part of the pod, the valve segment, has two chambers (locules), each with 2-5 seeds (FNA 1993+; Gómez-Campo 1993)
      • The rostrum segment is generally seedless in S. alba subsp. alba and S. alba subsp. dissecta, but S. alba subsp. mairei may contain 1-2 seeds (Gómez-Campo 1993)
    <
    >

    • Seed

      Size

      • Seed diameter: (1.7–)2–3(–3.5) mm (FNA 1993+)
      • Seed diameter: 2-3.5 mm (Gómez-Campo 1993)
      • Seed diameter: 2-2.5 mm (Lionakis Meyer and Effenberger 2005)
      • Seed length: 1.8-2.6 mm; width: 1.8-2.6 mm (Bojňanský and Fargašová 2007)
      • S. alba subsp. dissecta (Lag.) Simonk. seed length: 2.9-3.2 mm; width: 2.6-2.9 mm (Bojňanský and Fargašová 2007)
      • S. alba subsp. mairei (H. Lindb.) Maire seed length*: 2.0-2.5 mm; width: 1.8-2.1 mm
      *Note: minimum and maximum of 10 seeds in a normal range of this species using specimen measurement (ISMA 2020)

      Shape

      • Seed is globose or oval-shaped, generally slightly compressed in 3 dimensions
      • The radicle is generally not distinct

      Surface Texture

      • The surface texture is ridged reticulate, with wide ridges and small interspaces, giving a pitted appearance
      • The surface may be obscured by a thin, wrinkled outer layer (Lionakis Meyer and Effenberger 2005), most visible at the hilum

      Colour

      • Seeds of S. alba subsp. alba are generally dull light yellow with a pinkish wash, but yellowish-brown seeds may be encountered

      Other Features

      • The outer layer of the seed becomes sticky (produces mucilage) when wetted, and can form a whitish layer over the surface when dry (Woods and Downey 1980)

      White mustard (Sinapis alba) seeds

    <
    >

    • Embryo

      Size

      • Embryo fills the seed

      Shape

      • Embryo is bent (Martin 1946)

      Endosperm

      • Nutritive tissue stored in the cotyledons

      Other Features

      • Cotyledons are thin and folded

    Identification Tips

    CONSEILS POUR L’IDENTIFICATION

    The globose shape and hilum of Sinapis alba looks similar to seeds of Brassica species. The large size, pitted surface and light pinkish-yellow colour are the distinguishing features of S. alba, in contrast to the smaller size and brownish colour of most Brassica species.

    White mustard (Sinapis alba) seed

    Additional Botany Information

    AUTRES RENSEIGNEMENTS BOTANIQUES

    Flowers/Inflorescence

    • Branched inflorescences of many flowers that elongate in fruit up to 30 cm long; no bracts are present (WFO 2024).
    • Flowers are up to 10 mm across; flower stalks are widely spreading and become horizontal and elongated in fruit from (3)6–12(17) mm long (FNA 1993+; WFO 2024).
    • Sepals 4, alternating with petals; (3.8)4–7(8) mm long by 1–1.8 mm wide; narrowly oblong; spreading or reflexed; yellow or green (FNA 1993+; CFIA 2022; WFO 2024; Wildflowers of Ireland 2024).
    • Petals 4, pale yellow to yellow; (7)8–12(14) mm long by (3)4–6(7) mm wide; egg-shaped and attached at the narrow end by a narrow claw (FNA 1993+; CFIA 2022; WFO 2024; Wildflowers of Ireland 2024).
    • Stamens 6, with 4 long and 2 short; filaments are (3)4–7(8) mm long; anthers are oblong, 1.2–1.5 mm (FNA 1993+; WFO 2024; Wildflowers of Ireland 2024). Single ovary and a single solid style with a dry 2-lobed stigma (Śnieżko & Winiarczyk 1996).

    Vegetative Features

    • Herbaceous annuals (15)25-100(220) cm tall with erect stems usually branched in the upper portion; stems are usually stiffly hairy below with fewer hairs in the upper portion, rarely hairless (FNA 1993+; WFO 2024).
    • It has deep taproots 30 – 90 cm or longer (MSU Extension 2011).
    • Basal leaves are (3.5)5–14(20) cm long by 2–6(8) cm wide; oblong, ovate, or elongated teardrop-shaped in outline but pinnately divided with 1-3 lobes on each side that are oblong, egg-shaped, or elongated teardrop-shaped and 1.5-2.5cm long, with a much larger broadly egg-shaped terminal lobe that is itself usually lobed and irregularly toothed; leaf margins are usually square-toothed or slightly wavy; surfaces are typically stiff-hairy; leaf stalks are 1-3(6) cm long (FNA 1993+; WFO 2024)
    • Stem leaves becoming smaller and short-stalked further up the stem; egg-shaped to somewhat oblong; 2–4.5 cm long; margins coarsely square-toothed to somewhat wavy, rarely almost entire (FNA 1993+; WFO 2024).

    Sinapis alba plant shows larger basal leaves pinnately lobed with a larger, lobed terminal lobe and smaller stem leaves; it also has stiff-hairy stems and many-flowered inflorescences of pale yellow flowers (Ariel Palmon, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org)

    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 siliques of S. arvensis are generally glabrous with a 1-2 seeded, cone-shaped rostrum segment (DiTomaso and Healy 2007), compared to the pubescent siliques with a strongly compressed, generally seedless rostrum segment of S. alba. The seeds of S. arvensis are smaller (length*: 1.3-1.9 mm), near spherical, blackish coloured with a surface pattern of radiating lines compared to the larger seeds of S. alba, with a globose shape, yellowish colour and a reticulation pattern of thick ridges.

    *Note: minimum and maximum of 10 seeds in a normal range of this species using image measurement (ISMA 2020)

    Sinapis flexuosa Poir.

    The seeds of S. flexuosa are smaller (diameter: 1-1.8 mm, Gómez-Campo 1993) than S. alba subsp. mairei, are spherical-shaped and brownish coloured compared to the slightly compressed, brownish seeds of S. alba subsp. mairei.

    Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.

    The seeds of B. oleracea var. capitata are a similar size (length: 2-2.5 mm; width: 1.8-2.2 mm, Bojňanský and Fargašová 2007) and brownish colour as S. alba subsp. mairei, but they can be distinguished by the thin ridged surface reticulation of B. oleracea var. capitata compared to the thick ridges of S. alba.

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    Reference(s)

    Référence(s)

    Bojňanský, V. and Fargašová, A. 2007. Atlas of Seeds and Fruits of Central and East-European Flora: The Carpathian Mountains Region. Springer, The Netherlands. 1046 pp.

    Brouillet L., Desmet P., Coursol F., Meades S.J., 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 November 28, 2024.

    Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). 2022. The biology of Sinapis alba L. (mustard) – inspection.canada.ca. Canada.ca. https://inspection.canada.ca/en/plant-varieties/plants-novel-traits/applicants/directive-94-08/biology-documents/sinapis-alba

    Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI). 2024. CABI Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org Accessed November 28, 2024.

    DiTomaso, J.M. and Healy, E.A. 2007. Weeds of California and Other Western States. Volume 1: Aizoaceae-Fabaceae. University of California, Oakland, CA. 834 pp.

    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 November 28, 2024.

    Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). 2023. FAOSTAT. Www.fao.org. https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL/visualize Accessed November 28, 2024.

    Gómez-Campo, C., 1993. Sinapis L. In: Castroviejo, S., Aedo, C., Laínz, M., Muñoz Garmendia, F., Nieto Feliner, G., Paiva, J. and Benedí, C. (eds.). Flora iberica 4: 384-390. Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid.

    Heap, I. 2024. The International Herbicide-Resistant Weed Database. Online. Available www.weedscience.org Accessed November 28, 2024.

    International Seed Morphology Association (ISMA). 2020. Method for Seed Size Measurement. Version 1.0. ISMA Publication Guide.

    Kostić, M. D., Djalović, I. G., Stamenković, O. S., Mitrović, P. M., Adamović, D. S., Kulina, M. K., & Veljković, V. B. (2018). Kinetic modeling and optimization of biodiesel production from white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) seed oil by quicklime-catalyzed transesterification. Fuel, 223, 125-139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2018.03.023

    Lionakis Meyer, D.J. and Effenberger, J. 2005. Brassicaceae Seed Identification. California Department of Food & Agriculture, Plant Pest Diagnostic Center.

    Lloyd Library. 2022. Mustard, Medicine and Health. https://lloydlibrary.org/mustard-medicine-and-health

    Martin, A.C. 1946. The comparative internal morphology of seeds. The American Midland Naturalist 36: 513-660.

    Masierowska, M. and Piętka, T. 2014. Variability in nectar and pollen production in flowers of double–low lines of white mustard and their attractiveness to honey bees.. Acta scientiarum Polonorum. Hortorum cultus = Ogrodnictwo. 13. 197-209.

    Michigan State University (MSU) Extension. 2011. Mustard as a cover crop. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/mustard_as_a_cover_crop

    Mitrović, P. M., Stamenković, O. S., Djalović, I. G., Nježić, Z. B., Farooq, M., Siddique, K. H. & Veljković, V. B. (2020). White Mustard (Sinapis alba L.) Oil in Biodiesel Production: A Review. Frontiers in Plant Science, 11, 505009. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.00299

    Naumkin, V. and Velkova, N. 2013. Species diversity of insects-pollinators on crops of white mustard. Вестник аграрной науки, 2013. 43(4). https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/species-diversity-of-insects-pollinators-on-crops-of-white-mustard/pdf

    Peng, C., Zhao, S. Q., Zhang, J., Huang, G. Y., Chen, L. Y., and Zhao, F. Y. 2014. Chemical composition, antimicrobial property and microencapsulation of Mustard (Sinapis alba) seed essential oil by complex coacervation. Food Chem. 165, 560–568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.05.126

    Plants of the World Online (POWO). 2024. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published at http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org Accessed November 28, 2024.

    Rahman, M., Amina Khatun, A., Liu, L., and Barkla, B. J. (2018). Brassicaceae mustards: traditional and agronomic uses in Australia and New Zealand. Molecules 23:231. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23010231

    Śnieżko, R. and Winiarczyk, K. 1996. Pollen Tube Incompatibility Reaction on The Stigma in Self-Pollinated Sinapis alba L. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae. Vol 65. Nr. 1-2 105-106.

    Sujatha, R., Mariajancyrani, J., and Chandramohan, G. (2013). Preliminary phytochemical investigation and antimicrobial activity of Sinapis alba. Sch. J. App. Med. Sci. 1, 138–141.

    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 November 28, 2024.

    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 November 28, 2024.

    Wildflowers of Ireland. 2024. White Mustard. https://www.wildflowersofireland.net/plant_detail.php?id_flower=538&wildflower=Mustard

    Woods, D.L. and Downey, R.K. 1980. Mucilage from yellow mustard. Journal of Plant Science 6: 1031-1033.

    World Flora Online (WFO). 2024. Available at: http://www.worldfloraonline.org Accessed November 28, 2024.

    Author(s)

    AUTEUR(S)

    Lyrae Willis, Environmental Science Freelance Writer
    Jennifer Neudorf, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Canada

    Acknowledgement:
    To Taran Meyer of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for seed imaging.

    contactus@idseed.org

    Last updated
    on 2023-03-27

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