African mustard (Brassica tournefortii)

Stem

• Up to 3 ft. tall and branched; upper stem lacks hair (glabrous); lower stem covered with stiff, sownward pointing hairs

Leaves

• Rosette leaves up to 12 in. long and pinnate-divided with 6-14 pairs of leaflets; edges (margins) are toothed

• Stems have very few leaves; typically small and oval to strap-like (linear) with toothed to lobed edges

Flower

• Small (less than 0.6 in. wide) and yellow with four petals

• Seed pods are round, slender and 1.5-2.5 in. long; the end tapers to a point; contain numerous round seeds; pod constricts around seeds (appears beaded)

Root

• Deep, slender taproot

Other

• Grows best in sites with dry, sandy soils and sparse vegetation; often infests roadsides, waste areas, washes and desert areas; known to occur in Clark, Lincoln and Nye counties

• Annual; reproduces by seed

• Also known as Sahara mustard

Control

• Repeated hand-removal can be effective; disturbances such as fire, tillage and grazing often promote mustard growth

• Apply glyphosate, 2,4-D or triclopyr to actively growing plants before flowering