XChorispora tenella - Purple MustardX
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Purple Mustard -or- Musk Mustard -or- Crossflower (Chorispora tenella), family Brassicaceae (Mustard)
A beautiful carpet of these plants cover a huge piece of field near our home in Northglenn Colorado. While the plants en masse can make for a beautiful show there are some negatives. The scent of the plants is considered unpleasant and when eaten by cattle the milk is affected with the same odor. In fields of grains it can be competive and reduce productivity. The annual herbs are native to Eurasia. The flowers are both male and female and are polinated by insects. This is the only species in the genus. The state of California has declared the plants a noxious weed.
USES:
The leaves of this plant are edible and said to be good in salads. We have found no information on nutrient values. Also called Blue Mustard.
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Plant location: Found on Cottonwood Pass, Grandby, Colorado on May 27, 2009. The plants are found in almost every state of the U.S. except the far east. Also in parts of Canada. Plant -
Bloom period: April through June. The seeds mature in July and August.Foliage -
Hwy 285 North, towards Longmont - April 28, 2010
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Hwy 285 North, towards Longmont - April 28, 2010
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