BRASSICACEAE (CRUCIFERAE) – MUSTARD FAMILY Plant: herbs mostly, annual to perennial, sometimes shrubs; sap sometimes peppery Stem: Root: Leaves: mostly simple but sometimes pinnately divided; alternate, rarely opposite or whorled; no stipules Flowers: mostly perfect, mostly regular (actinomorphic); 4 sepals, 4 petals often forming a cross; 6 stamens with usually 2 outer ones shorter than the inner 4; ovary superior, mostly 2 fused carpels, 1 to many ovules, 1 pistil Fruit: seed pods, often used in classification, many are slender and long (Silique), some broad (Silicle) – see morphology slide Other: a large family, many garden plants such as turnip, radish, and cabbage, also some spices; often termed the Cruciferae family; Dicotyledons Group Genera: 350+ genera; 40+ locally WARNING – family descriptions are only a layman’s guide and should not be used as definitive Flower Morphology in the Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) - flower with 4 sepals, 4 petals (often like a cross, sometimes split or lobed), commonly small, often white or yellow, distinctive fruiting structures often important for ID; many genera 2 types of fruiting pods: in addition, fruits may be circular, flattened or angled in cross-section Silicle - (usually <2.5x long as wide), 2-valved with septum (replum) Silique - (usually >2.5x long as wide), 2- valved with septum (replum) Flowers, Many Genera BRASSICACEAE (CRUCIFERAE) – MUSTARD FAMILY Garlic Mustard; Alliaria petiolata (Bieb.) Cavara & Grande (Introduced) Pale Madwort [Small Alyssum]; Alyssum alyssoides (L.) L. (Introduced) Mouse-Ear Cress; Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. Sicklepod; Arabis canadensis L. Tower Rockcress [Mustard]; Arabis glabra (L.) Bernh. Hairy Rockcress; Arabis hirsuta (L.) Scop. Smooth Rockcress; Arabis laevigata (Muhl. ex Willd.) Poir. var. laevigata Lyrate Rockcress [Sand Cress]; Arabis lyrata L. Yellow Rocket [Bitter WinterCress]; Barbarea vulgaris Ait. f. (Introduced) Hoary Alyssum [Hoary False Madwort]; Berteroa incana (L.) DC. (Introduced) Black Mustard; Brassica Nigra (L.) W.D.J. Koch (Introduced) Field Mustard [Turnip]; Brassica rapa L. (Introduced) American Sea-Rocket; Cakile edentula (Bigelow) Hook. Coastal Searocket; Cakile lanceolata (Willd.) O.E. Schulz Shepherd’s Purse; Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. (Introduced) Slender Toothwort; Cardamine angustata O.E. Schulz [White] Springcress; Cardamine bulbosa (Schreb. Ex Muhl.) BSP Cut-Leaved Toothwort [Pepperroot]; Cardamine concatenata (Michx.) Sw. Limestone Bittercress [Purple Springcress]; Cardamine douglassii Britt. Hairy Bittercress; Cardamine hirsuta L. (Introduced) Small-Flowered [Sand] Bittercress; Cardamine parviflora L. [Western] Tansy Mustard; Descurainia pinnata (Walter) Britton ssp. brachycarpa (Richardson) Detling Herb Sophia [Common Tansy Mustard]; Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl (Introduced) Annual Wall [Sand] Rocket; Diplotaxis muralis (L.) DC. (Introduced) Wedgeleaf Draba [Whitlow Grass]; Draba cuneifolia Nutt. ex Torr. & A. Gray var. cuneifolia Early Whitlow-Grass [Spring Draba]; Draba verna L. (Introduced) Garlic Mustard USDA Alliaria petiolata (Bieb.) Cavara & Grande (Introduced) Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 4-petaled flower, white to creamy; leaves alternate, coarsely toothed, long stalked below, smells of garlic when crushed; stem erect; fruit pods 4-8 cm, spreading; very common (highly invasive) in woody or shaded areas, spring and summer [V Max Brown, 2004] Pale Madwort USDA [Small Alyssum] Alyssum alyssoides (L.) L. (Introduced) Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: flowers yellow (or white), 4-petaled and very small; leaves mostly cauline, alternate, entire and hairy; stem with appressed hairs; fruits a silicle; plant with stellate pubescence; early summer [V Max Brown, 2009] Mouse-Ear Cress USDA Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. (Introduced) Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: flowers white, 4-petaled and very small; leaves mostly in basal rosette (with some stalked forked hairs), stem leaves alternate and reduced, hairy; stem more hairy downward, fruits up to 2 cm, linear, circular; spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2007] Sicklepod USDA Arabis canadensis L. (Boechera canadensis (L.) Al-Shehbaz) Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 4-petaled flower, white to yellowish-white, petals longer than sepals; leaves lanceolate, a little hairy, toothed or entire, not clasping; stem with only a few hairs but mostly glabrous; fruit pods very long (up to 11 cm+), both pedicel and pod drooping; woods; late spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2006] Tower Rockcress [Mustard] USDA Arabis glabra (L.) Bernh. Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 4-petaled flower, white to yellowish-white; leaves lanceolate, strongly clasping; fruit pods with beak and very long (up to 9+ cm), strongly appressed to stem; tall plant up to 1.5 m+; late spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2007] Hairy Rockcress USDA Arabis hirsuta (L.) Scop. Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 4-petaled flower, usually white (may be somewhat yellowish); leaves lanceolate, strongly clasping; stem hairy particullarly near base, basal leaves hairy; fruit pods erect, up to about 5 cm, flattened with long stalk; late spring to summer (varieties) [V Max Brown, 2008] Smooth Rockcress USDA Arabis laevigata (Muhl. ex Willd.) Poir. var. laevigata Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Alley Springs, Ozark National Riverways, Shannon County, Missouri Notes: 4-petaled flower, white to yellowish-white, small; stem leaves lanceolate, margins undulate, usually strongly clasping and often auriculate, basal leaves similar but with petiole; fruit pods very long (up to 10+ cm), spreading and drooping; plant mostly glabrous and glaucous; spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2010] Lyrate Rockcress USDA [Sand Cress] Arabis lyrata L. Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 4-petaled flower, white, sepals much shorter than petals; leaves lanceolate to linear, mostly entire, not clasping, basal leaves often lobed; fruit pods long (up to 4cm) on pedicel; spring to early fall [V Max Brown, 2006] Yellow Rocket [Bitter USDA Wintercress] Barbarea vulgaris Ait. f. (Introduced) Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 4-petaled flowers, yellow; stem leaves alternate, clasping and often auriculate, basal leaves with 1-4 paired lobes; stem often angled; fruit pods 1.5-3+ cm, on pedicels; spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2005] Yellow Rocket [Bitter Wintercress] (winter views) Barbarea vulgaris Ait. f. (Introduced) Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) January, Southwest Missouri Hoary Alyssum USDA [Hoary False Madwort] Berteroa incana (L.) DC. (Introduced) Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 4-petaled flower, white, deeply cut; leaves entire, alternate, lanceolate to oblanceolate, not clasping, hairy; fruit pods oblong and elliptical in cross-section; hairy plant; open areas; late spring to early fall [V Max Brown, 2005] Black Mustard USDA Brassica Nigra (L.) W.D.J. Koch (Introduced) Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 4-petal yellow flower; leaves coarsely toothed (irregullarly lobed or divided), all with petioles; pods 1-3 cm, strongly appressed to stem, lower part sometimes angled, beaked; tall plant, up to 2+ m, stem hairy near base; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2004] Field Mustard [Turnip] USDA Brassica rapa L. (Introduced) Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area, Christian County, Missouri Notes: 4-petaled flower, bright yellow, flowers over-top the buds; stem leaves alternate, clasping and auriculate with only shallow lobes, basal leaves (usually absent at flowering) with 3-9 irregular lobes; stem glabrous but usually not glaucous; fruit pods circular with a tapering beak, usually ascending; spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2010] American Sea-Rocket USDA Cakile edentula (Bigelow) Hook. Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Maumee Bay State Park, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 4-petaled flower, white to yellowish- or purplish- white; leaves thick and fleshy, coarsely toothed; pods thick, mostly body but with a beak, pod often constricted in middle; beaches and coastlines; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2006] Coastal Searocket USDA Cakile lanceolata (Willd.) O.E. Schulz Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Cedar Key, Levy County, Florida Notes: 4-petaled flower, white to yellowish- or purplish-white; leaves thick and fleshy, often coarsely lobed; pods thick up to 1 in long; beaches and coastlines; spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2011] Shepherd’s Purse USDA Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. (Introduced) Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) University of Toledo Campus, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 4-petaled white flowers, small; upper leaves pointed and clasp the stem, basal leaves deeply divided; stem hairy near base; fruit pod heart-shaped, small indentation at top; spring to fall [V Max Brown, 2005] Slender Toothwort USDA Cardamine angustata O.E. Schulz Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Brown County State Park, Brown County, Indiana Notes: 4-petaled flower, white (sometimes tinged with purple); 2 stem leaves, opposite, each divided into 3 lanceolate and toothed segments, basal leaves divided (3’s) with mostly crenate (rounded) teeth; leaves and stem mostly glabrous; woods; spring [V Max Brown,