Common names:
Purple mustard, musk mustard, blue mustard
Family:
Scientific name:
Chorispora tenella
Main flower color:
Range:
All the western states (non native)
Height:
Between 4 and 15 inches
Habitat:
Disturbed ground, roadsides, wasteland, washes, fields
Leaves:
Lanceolate to oblong to oblanceolate, up to 3 inches long, with wavy, shallowly lobed or toothed edges
Season:
March to June
Chorispora tenella originates in Europe and Asia but has long been introduced in the US, where it can be very abundant, carpeting whole fields; the species is classed as a noxious weed in many areas. Leaves and stems have a sparse covering of sticky, glandular hairs; white stalks, often topped by a light brown gland. Plants produce small numbers of flowers towards the stop of the stem, blooming over a period of several months.
Flowers are formed of four greenish-purple sepals, partly fused into a tube a quarter of an inch long, and four spreading magenta-pink petals, narrow (clawed) at the base and similar in length to the sepals. The fruit is a gently upwards-curved green pod, up to 2 inches long. The plant exudes a strong, musky aroma.
Flowers are formed of four greenish-purple sepals, partly fused into a tube a quarter of an inch long, and four spreading magenta-pink petals, narrow (clawed) at the base and similar in length to the sepals. The fruit is a gently upwards-curved green pod, up to 2 inches long. The plant exudes a strong, musky aroma.
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