(Erucastrum gallicum)
Conservation • Weed • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Use • Distribution • Taxonomy
Description |
Common dog mustard is an exotic, easily identified, weedy plant. It is native to Europe. It was first collected in North America near Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1903. In 1909 it was collected in North Dakota, Ohio, and Wyoming, suggesting it was already widespread. It was first reported in Minnesota in 1910. It was probably present in the United States prior to 1903 but not recorded due to problems with identification. It now occurs across the northern United States and southern Canada in a narrow range that has been called the “Erucastrum belt of North America.” In the U.S., it is most common from New Hampshire to Connecticut, west to North Dakota and South Dakota. In Canada, it is most common from Nova Scotia west to Alberta. Outside of these areas there are many widely scattered occurrences south as far as Mexico and north as far as Alaska. It is likely under-reported due to its small stature, small pale flowers, and its general appearance similar to plants in the mustard (Brassicaceae) family. Common dog mustard is found in sites that have sparse vegetation due to past disturbance and a harsh microclimate. It is most common along railroads, roadsides, and waste places, suggesting that its spread is facilitated by the transportation system. Though not as common, it is found in grassland, disturbed ground, and beaches, and in cultivated fields after a crop has been harvested. Common dog mustard is a 3½″ to 25½″ (9 to 65 cm) tall, erect, annual or biennial forb that rises on a rosette of basal leaves and a single flowering stem from a taproot. The stems are erect or ascending, and they are covered with unbranched hairs. The stems may be unbranched, branched at the base, have few branches at the lower nodes, or have several branches along their length. Stem leaves are alternate. Basal and lower stem leaves are inversely lance shaped, 1¼″ to 11″ (3 to 28 cm) long, and 5⁄16″ to 4¼″ (0.8 to 11 cm) wide. The leaf blades are usually deeply pinnately lobed with 3 to 10 lobes on each side. The lobes are 1⁄16″ to 1¾″ (2 to 45 mm) long. The lowest lobes are the smallest and the terminal lobe is often the largest. The margins may be lobed or have rounded or angular teeth. The upper and lower surfaces are sparsely covered with unbranched hairs. The leaves get progressively smaller and less divided as they ascend the stem. Upper stem leaves may be on short stalks (petioles) or stalkless (sessile). If sessile, the leaf bases do not partially surround (clasp) the stem. Uppermost stem leaves are ⅜″ to ⅝″ (10 to 20 mm) long. The inflorescence is a elongate, loose, unbranched cluster (raceme) of many flowers at the end of the stem and branches. Each raceme is subtended by a slightly modified inflorescence leaf (bract). Each flower is ⅜″ to ½″ (10 to 12 mm) in diameter and is on a 1⁄16″ to ⅝″ (2 to 16 mm) long stalk (pedicel). There are 4 outer floral leaves (sepals), 4 petals, 6 stamens, and 1 style. The sepals are erect to ascending, sparsely hairy, ⅛″ to 3 ⁄16″ (3 to 5 mm) long, and 1⁄32″ to 1⁄16″ (1 to 2 mm) wide. The petals are pale yellow, spatula shaped, ⅛″ to 5⁄16″ (4 to 8 mm) long, and 1⁄32″ to ⅛″ (1.5 to 3 mm) wide. There are 4 long stamens and 2 short stamens. The stalks of the stamens (filaments) are ⅛″ to 3 ⁄16″ (3.5 to 5.5 mm) long. The fruit is an ascending, straight, linear, ¾″ to 1½″ (2 to 4 cm) long seed capsule (silique). The silique is more or less 4 angled in cross section, and it is pinched between inflated sections. It has no prolonged tip (beak) at the end, but the style persists. The flowering time is very long, from May to September, and the flowers bloom from the bottom up. As the fruits mature, the raceme greatly elongates between each fruit. The seeds are reddish brown. |
Height |
3½″ to 25½″ (9 to 65 cm) |
Flower Color |
Pale yellow |
Similar Species |
Habitat |
Railroads, roadsides, and waste places, harvested cropland, grassland, disturbed ground, and beaches |
Ecology |
Flowering |
May to September |
Pests and Diseases |
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Use |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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12/15/2024 | ||
Nativity |
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Native to Europe. Introduced and widely naturalized. |
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Occurrence |
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Common |
Taxonomy |
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Kingdom |
Plantae (green algae and land plants) |
Subkingdom |
Viridiplantae (green plants) |
Infrakingdom |
Streptophyta (land plants and green algae) |
Superdivision |
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Division |
Tracheophyta (vascular plants) |
Subdivision |
Spermatophytina (seed plants) / Angiospermae (flowering plants) |
Class |
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Superorder |
Rosanae |
Order |
Brassicales (mustards, capers, and allies) |
Family |
Brassicaceae (mustard) |
Subfamily |
Brassicoideae |
Supertribe |
Brassicodae |
Tribe |
Brassiceae |
Genus |
Erucastrum (dog mustards) |
Subordinate Taxa |
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Synonyms |
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Brassica bracteata Brassica erucastrum var. ochroleuca Brassica gallica Brassica ochroleuca Brassica pollichii Brassicaria bracteata Crucifera pollichii Diplotaxis bracteata Diplotaxis bracteata var. luteiflora Eruca pollichii Erucastrum inodorum Erucastrum obtusangulum ssp. pollichii Erucastrum ochroleucum Erucastrum pollichii Erucastrum vulgare Hirschfeldia gallica Hirschfeldia pollichii Kibera gallica Sinapis erucastrum Sisymbrium erucastrum Sisymbrium gallicum Sisymbrium hirtum Sisymbrium irio var. gallicum Sisymbrium murale var. erucastrum |
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Common Names |
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common dog mustard common dogmustard common dog-mustard dog mustard French dog-mustard hairy rocket rocketweed |
Glossary
Beak
In plants: A comparatively short and stout, narrow or prolonged tip on a thickened organ, as on some fruits and seeds. In insects: The protruding, tubular mouthpart of a sucking insect.
Clasping
Describing a leaf that wholly or partly surrounds the stem but does not fuse at the base.
Pedicel
On plants: the stalk of a single flower in a cluster of flowers. On insects: the second segment of the antennae. On Hymenoptera and Araneae: the narrow stalk connecting the thorax to the abdomen: the preferred term is petiole.
Petiole
On plants: The stalk of a leaf blade or a compound leaf that attaches it to the stem. On ants and wasps: The constricted first one or two segments of the rear part of the body.
Pinnate
Having the leaflets of a compound leaf arranged on opposite sides of a common stalk.
Raceme
An unbranched, elongated inflorescence with stalked flowers. The flowers mature from the bottom up.
Sepal
An outer floral leaf, usually green but sometimes colored, at the base of a flower.
Sessile
Stalkless; attached at the base without a petiole, peduncle, pedicel, or stalk.
Silique
A seed capsule of plants in the family Brassicaceae that has two fused carpels and is more than three times as long as wide.
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Dan W. Andree |
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Field Mustard?... There were a couple of these plants I noticed on the far SW corner section of the Northern Tallgrass Prairie Pavia Unit. I had never seen this type plant before on any prairie and think it might be a weed or non-native plant called field mustard. |
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Dan W. Andree |
Location: Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Pavia Unit There were a couple of these plants I noticed on the far SW corner section of the Northern Tallgrass Prairie Pavia Unit. I had never seen this type plant before on any prairie and think it might be a weed or non-native plant called field mustard. |
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Created: 12/16/2024 Last Updated: © MinnesotaSeasons.com. All rights reserved. |