| Rhamphospermum nigrum | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Brassicales |
| Family: | Brassicaceae |
| Genus: | Rhamphospermum |
| Species: | R. nigrum |
| Binomial name | |
| Rhamphospermum nigrum | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
List
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Rhamphospermum nigrum (syns.Mutarda nigra,Brassica nigra, andSinapis nigra),black mustard, is anannual plant native to cooler regions of North Africa,temperate regions of Europe, and parts of Asia.[2].It iscultivated for its dark-brown-to-black seeds, which are commonly used as aspice.
It is an upright plant, growing to 70 centimetres (28 in) in width[3] and up to 1.2 metres (4 ft) tall in moist, fertile soil. The large stalked leaves are covered with hairs or bristles at the base, with smoother stems.[4][5][6]
It blooms in summer (from May onwards in the UK). The flowers have four yellow petals, which are twice as long as the sepals. Each stem has around four flowers[3] at the top, forming a ring around the stem. Later, the plant forms long, beaked seed pods, which contain rounded seeds.[4][3]
Despite their similar common names, black mustard andwhite mustard (genusSinapis) are not in the same genus. Black mustard belongs to the sametribe ascabbage andturnips.
R. nigrum also resemblesHirschfeldia incana (hoary mustard, formerly known asBrassica geniculata), aperennial plant.
It was formally described byKarl Koch in "Deutschl. Fl." (or Deutschlands Flora) ed.3 on page 713 in 1833.[7][8] This was based on a description by the Swedish botanistCarl Linnaeus.
The Latin-specific epithetnigrum is derived from the Latin word for black.[9][10] This is due to the black seeds.[4]
It isnative to tropical regions of North Africa, temperate regions of Europe and parts of Asia.[11]
In North Africa, it is found within Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Ethiopia, Morocco and Tunisia. Within Asia, it is found in Afghanistan, Armenia, theCaucasus, China (in theprovinces ofGansu, Jiangsu,Qinghai, Xinjiang andXizang), Cyprus, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel–Palestine, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey.[11]
In eastern Europe, it is found in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. In middle Europe, it is found in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland. In northern Europe, in Ireland and the United Kingdom. In southeastern Europe, within Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro,North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia. In southwestern Europe, it is found in France and Spain.[11]
It was introduced to the Pacific coast of North America and is considered an invasive species.[12][13] The plant was brought here centuries ago by Catholic missionaries during the era of Spanish exploration and colonization, as a food crop, according to Matt Loftis, a manager of Mountain Forestry Department atTreePeople in Los Angeles, California. It has since thrived unchecked, aided by a similar Mediterranean climate in Southern California.[14]
The plant was used as acondiment more than 2,000 years ago; it was mentioned by theRoman authorColumella in the 1st centuryCE. The plant leaves were alsopickled in vinegar. In 13th-century France the seeds were ground and used. They were mixed with unfermented grape juice (must) to create "moût-ardent" ("burning must"). This became later "moutarde",[4] ormustard in English.
A spice is generally made from ground seeds of the plant,[1][15][16] with theseed coats removed. The small (1 mm) seeds are hard and vary in color from dark brown to black. They are flavorful, although they have almost no aroma. The seeds are commonly used inIndian cuisine,[17] for example incurry, where it is known asrai.[18] The seeds are usually thrown into hot oil orghee, after which they pop, releasing a characteristic nutty flavor. The seeds have a significant amount of fatty oil, mainlyoleic acid.[19] This oil is used often ascooking oil in India, where it is called "sarson ka tel".[20]
The young leaves, buds and flowers are edible.[6] In Ethiopia, where the plant is cultivated as a vegetable inGondar,Harar andShewa, the shoots and leaves are consumed cooked and the seeds used as a spice. ItsAmharic name issenafitch.[21]
Since the 1950s, black mustard has become less popular as compared tobrown mustard, because some cultivars of brown mustard have seeds that can be mechanically harvested in a more efficient manner.[citation needed]
In the UK, the plant was used to make "hot mustard baths", which would aid people with colds.[4] Ground seeds of the plant mixed withhoney are widely used in eastern Europe as a cough suppressant. In Eastern Canada, the use ofmouche de moutarde to treat respiratory infections was popular before the advent of modern medicine. It consisted in mixing ground mustard seeds with flour and water, and creating acataplasm with the paste. This poultice was put on the chest or the back and left until the person felt a stinging sensation. Mustard poultice could also be used to aid muscular pains.[4]
Black mustard is thought to be the seed mentioned by Jesus in theParable of the Mustard Seed.[22]
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