Family
Brassicaceae
Synonyms
Myagrum paniculatum
Distribution in Canada
Found in Canada
Duration of life cycle
Annual or winter annual
Seed/Fruit type
Single-seeded pod (does not split open at maturity)
Seed identification features
Size
- pod length and thickness: 1.5–2.0 mm
- pod width: 2.0–2.5 mm
Shape
- pod: oval to globular
- seed: oval to obovate (upside-down egg shape), with prominent seed root
Surface texture
- pod: network of ridges (fine network of lines between ridges)
- seed: slightly wrinkled, with a sheen
Colour
- pod: light brown to medium brown
- seed: orange
Other structures
- ball mustard is usually encountered in the pod
- naked seed is oily and fragile
Similar species
White ball-mustard (Calepina irregularis)
- native to Europe; found only in Virginia and North Carolina
- pods are similar to ball mustard in size (white ball-mustard is ~0.5 mm larger), oval shape and presence of a single seed
- pod is covered by a network of ridges (ridges are more widely spaced than those on ball mustard pod)
- one end of pod is drawn into a point
Photos
Similar species
