Brassica nigra

S. Kohl ex Koch

Black mustard

Brassicaceae Edible: Leaves, Seeds, Herb, Spice, Flowers, Vegetable, Oil Potential hazards — see below

lipidsseasoning

iNaturalist· cc-by

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Summary

An annual reaching 1.2 m tall and 0.6 m wide, hardy to UK zone 7. Flowers June to August, seeds ripen July to September. Hermaphrodite, pollinated by bees and flies, self-fertile. Grows in light sandy and medium loamy well-drained soils. Tolerates mildly acid to very acid pH, semi-shade or full sun, and maritime exposure. Prefers moist soil.

Description

A cabbage family herb. It is an annual plant. It grows about 1-3 m high. The leaves are stalked and clasp the stem. The upper leaves are sword shaped. Leaves are 10-20 cm long. Flowers are yellow. The fruit is a pod. It is erect, smooth and 2 cm long. It can have 3-5 seeds. The seeds are reddish-brown to almost black. They are 1.5 mm across.

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves Oil Oil Seed Stem Edible Uses: Oil Oil Leaves - raw or cooked. A hot flavour, they can be finely chopped and added to salads or cooked as a potherb. The seedlings can also be used as a salading when about one week old, adding a hot pungency to a salad[2, 27, 183, K]. Immature flowering stems - cooked and eaten like broccoli. Mustard seed is commonly ground into a powder and used as a food flavouring and relish. This is the black mustard of commerce, it is widely used as a food relish and as an ingredient of curry. Pungency of mustard develops when cold water is added to the ground-up seed - an enzyme (myrosin) acts on a glycoside (sinigrin) to produce a sulphur compound. The reaction takes 10 - 15 minutes. Mixing with hot water or vinegar, or adding salt, inhibits the enzyme and produces a mild bitter mustard. The seed can also be used whole to season pickles, curries, sauerkraut etc. Black mustard has a stronger more pungent flavour than white mustard (Sinapis alba) and brown mustard (B. juncea). An edible oil is obtained from the seed.

Traditional Uses

The young basal leaves and shoots are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The seed oil is used for cooking. The ripe seeds can be used as flavouring. They are used in pickles and sausages. The seeds are sprouted and eaten. They are also powdered and eaten with honey. The flowers are used like broccoli.

Medicinal Uses

Antirheumatic Appetizer Digestive Diuretic Emetic Epilepsy Rubefacient Stimulant Mustard seed is often used in herbal medicine, especially as a rubefacient poultice. The seed is ground and made into a paste then applied to the skin in the treatment of rheumatism, as a means of reducing congestion in internal organs. Applied externally, mustard relieves congestion by drawing the blood to the surface as in head afflictions, neuralgia and spasms. Hot water poured on bruised seeds makes a stimulant foot bath, good for colds and headaches. Old herbals suggested mustard for treating alopecia, epilepsy, snakebite, and toothache. Care must be taken not to overdo it, since poultices can sometimes cause quite severe irritation to the skin. The seed is also used internally, when it is appetizer, digestive, diuretic, emetic and tonic. Swallowed whole when mixed with molasses, it acts as a laxative. A decoction of the seeds is used in the treatment of indurations of the liver and spleen. It is also used to treat carcinoma, throat tumours, and imposthumes. A liquid prepared from the seed, when gargled, is said to help tumours of the "sinax.". The seed is eaten as a tonic and appetite stimulant. Hot water poured onto bruised mustard seeds makes a stimulating foot bath and can also be used as an inhaler where it acts to throw off a cold or dispel a headache. Mustard Oil is said to stimulate hair growth. Mustard is also recommended as an aperient ingredient of tea, useful in hiccup. Mustard flour is considered antiseptic.

Known Hazards

When eaten in large quantities, the seed and pods have sometimes proved toxic to grazing animals.

Distribution

It is a temperate and Mediterranean climate plant. In China it grows on slopes, steppe, field margins between 900–2800 m altitude. In Nepal it grows to 2000 m altitude. In Ethiopia it grows between 1,500-2,600 m above sea level. Tasmania Herbarium.

Where It Grows

Afghanistan, Africa, Andorra, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Balkans, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Bosnia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Cape Verde, Central Asia, Chile, China, Crete, Cuba, Cyprus, East Africa, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Europe*, Fiji, Greece, Hawaii, Himalayas, Hungary, India, Indochina, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mediterranean, Middle East, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, North Africa, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, SE Asia, Serbia, Sicily, Sikkim, Slovakia, Slovenia, South America, Sri Lanka, Tasmania, USA, Turkey, Türkiye, Uruguay, Vietnam, West Indies, SW Asia,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed.

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ from early spring until late summer in order to obtain a succession of crops. The main crop for seed is sown in April.

Other Uses

Green manure Oil Oil Repellent A semi-drying oil is obtained from the seed, as well as being edible it is also used as a lubricant, illuminant and in making soap. The plant is often grown as a green manure, it is very fast, producing a bulk suitable for digging into the soil in about 8 weeks. Not very winter hardy, it is generally used in spring and summer. It does harbour the pests and diseases of the cabbage family so is probably best avoided where these plants are grown in a short rotation and especially if club root is a problem. Mustard oil (allyl isothiocyanate) is used in commercial cat and dog repellent mixtures. Special Uses Scented Plants

Production

The seeds need to be hand picked as they shed their seeds at maturity. They can be harvested after 90-100 days.

Other Information

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. Leaves are sold in local markets.

Notes

There are about 30 Brassica species and many cultivated varieties. A recent publication revised the name to Rhamphospermum nigrum (L.) Al-Shehbaz.

Nutrition

Part	Moisture	kJ	kcal	Protein	Vit A	Vit C	Iron	Zinc
Seeds	8.5	2261	541	20	—	0	17.9	—
Leaves	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Flowers	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Sprouts	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Synonyms

Sinapis nigra LinnaeusSisymbrium nigrum (Linnaeus) Prantl.many others

Also Known As

Ankam, Asnab, Cavuliceddu niuru, Crn sinap, Crna zelka, Esek turpu, Franciamustar, Gan-aba, Hardala, Hot-cai den, Huoirruoi, Kadugu, Kalo sorisha, Kalo tori, Kalu aba, Karahardal, Kerkaz, Mazzaredda amara, Monnyin-net, Mostacilla, Mostarda negra, Mostaza negra, Nzeyicheu, Rama negra, Rayo, Saiso, Sarso, Senafich, Sinapi, True mustard, Yaolaisa gisim

References (77)

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