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White Wildflower Gallery

Mustard Family

Mustard plants typically have four petals, four sepals, and six stamens.  Petals can be yellow, white, pink, or purple.  The family is divided into two groups: those with fruit pods that are more than three times as long as broad (called a silique), and those that are less than three times as long as broad (called a silicula).  Pods can come in many shapes and sizes but all have two halves with a partition in the center.  Leaves come in a variety of shapes but are typically clasping and become simpler and smaller up the stem.  Some mustards are native, some introduced.

Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) - Mustard family

Whitlow-grass (Wedge-leaf Draba) Draba cuneifolia

This tiny spring plant grows to only 6-8" tall.  The flowers are 3/16" wide.

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, March 2005

(Native of Texas)

Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) - Mustard family

Shepherdspurse Capsella bursa-pastoris

This is a tiny, delicate weed found in most untended yards.  The 1/16" wide flowers grow from red buds at the top of the long stalk.  Before the petals fall off the heart shaped seed pod forms at the center.  The stem attached to the flower lengthens leaving the pods to look like leaves down the sides.  The ground hugging leaves are only at the base and look like dandelion leaves.

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, March 2005

(Introduced)

Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) - Mustard family

Western Peppergrass (Virginia Pepperweed) Lepidium virginicum

Flower is about 1/8" wide on stalks that reach 2 feet tall.  Flowers bloom at the bottom of the bud head and leave flat round seed-pods along the stem.  Leaves at bottom are about 1 1/2" long and 1/2" wide.  Leaves up the flower stalk are long and thin.

Photos taken in Coleman County, Texas, May 2004

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, April 2005

(Native of Texas)

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