Images
Click on image to view full size
Morphology
- Stem
- Erect, branched above, bristly-hairy or glabrous.
- Leaves
- Alternate, simple, stalked below, sessile above, egg-shaped or rhombic, 2-8 inches long, 1-4 inches wide; margins coarsely toothed or sometimes lobed; upper leaves progressively smaller, rhombic to oblong; tips pointed.
- Inflorescence
- Raceme, terminal.
- Flower
- Conspicuous, about 3/5 inch wide; sepals 4, in 2 opposite pairs; petals 4, pale yellow, diagonal to sepals.
- Fruit
- Pods, linear, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, mostly glabrous, ascending, with prominent, flattened beak about 1/2 inch long; seeds 7-13, nearly spherical, black to purplish brown.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Waste ground, gardens, cultivated fields, and roadsides.
- Distribution
- Throughout Kansas.
Practical Information
- Toxicity
- Will occasionally accumulate toxic concentrations of nitrates.
Additional Notes
Comments
Charlock can be a problem weed. Its seeds can survive in the ground for a long time.
Special Notes: See Brassica juncea , a related species.
Synonyms
Alternative scientific names that have been used for this plant.
Scientific Name: Brassica kaber
Full Citation: Brassica kaber Wheeler
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Brassicaceae - Mustard Family
- Life Span
- Annual
- Height
- 8 to 32 inches
- Origin
- Introduced
- Last Updated
- 2007-05-17
Color Groups
Yellow Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: May, June, July