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Brassicaceae Notes

The Mustard Family (Brassicaceae) is a cosmopolitan family of herbs, shrubs, and trees, most diverse in the Mediterranean, southwest Asia, and western North America. It contains important crop plants like mustard, cabbage, broccoli, and Arabidopsis thaliana. The family is characterized by having glucosinolates, tetradynamous stamens, yellow petals, erect sepals, and fruits that are siliques or silicles.

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112 views2 pages

Brassicaceae Notes

The Mustard Family (Brassicaceae) is a cosmopolitan family of herbs, shrubs, and trees, most diverse in the Mediterranean, southwest Asia, and western North America. It contains important crop plants like mustard, cabbage, broccoli, and Arabidopsis thaliana. The family is characterized by having glucosinolates, tetradynamous stamens, yellow petals, erect sepals, and fruits that are siliques or silicles.

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samuel maina
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Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) At least the lower leaves are deeply pinnatifid,

lyrate or pinnate.
The Mustard Family
Inflorescences: racemes without bracts.
385 genera Sepals erect during anthesis.
Petals yellow.
3,400 species Ovary and silique with a prominent beak.

Prepared by: Mischa Olson


Year updated: Spring 2013

Tetradynamous stamens Rosids: Reduced Phylogeny of Required Families

Distribution:

A cosmopolitan family, most diverse in the


Mediterranean region, southwest Asia and
western North America.

Economic Uses:

This family contains a considerable diversity of


cultivated food crops such as mustard, cress,
kale and cabbage (Brassica oleracea), broccoli,
etc. Characteristic features:

Many of these same crops are used to produce Herbs, shrubs or trees (mostly herbs).
oils and animal fodder as well.
Glucosinolates (mustard oils) present in all
There is also a wide range of ornamental plants taxa.
in this family.
Flowers: 4 sepals, 4 petals (cruciform) and
Arabidopsis thaliana is the model plant of choice often clawed; 6 stamens, all equal or usually
for much of molecular biology and genetics. 2 shorter and 4 longer (tetradynamous);
usually 2 connate carpels in a superior ovary.
Required genus: Brassica (30+ species)
Annuals or biennials. Fruit: a capsule, usually dehiscing by splitting
into 2 valves leaving a persistent cross-wall,
a silique or silicle.

Many species are often pioneers after


disturbance.

References for further inquiry:

Judd, W.S., Sanders, R.W., & Donoghue, M.J.


Angiosperm family pairs: preliminary phylogenetic
analyses. Harvard Papers in Botany 5: 1-51 (1994).

Brummitt, R.K. Vascular Plant Families and Genera.


Richmond, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1992).

Heywood, V.H., Brummitt, R.K., Culham, A., & Seberg,


O. Brassicaceae. Pp. 68-71. In: Flowering Plant
Families of the World. New York, Firefly Books
(2007).

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