Stem

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

Closeup of the central stem

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.

First leave of a sprouting plant

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).

Closeup of the inflorescences

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

Adult plant

Control

Repeated hand-removal can be effective; disturbances such as fire, tillage and grazing often promote mustard growth.
Apply 2,4-D, glyphosate or triclopyr post-emergence; chlorsulfuron or imazapic pre- or post emergence.

Blecker, L., Creech, E., Dick, J., Gephart, S., Hefner, M., H. Kratsch, Moe, A., Schultz, B. 2020, Nevada Noxious Weed Field Guide – African mustard, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, Field Guide

Extension Associated Contacts

Heidi Kratsch

Also of Interest:


A Change in the Ecological Understanding of Rangelands in the Great Basin and Intermountain West and Implications for Management: Revisiting Mack and Thompson (1982) Perryman, P., Schultz, B., Meiman, P. 2021, Rangeland Ecology & Management Vol 76, Pages 1-11
Nevada Noxious Weed Field Guide – Crimson fountaingrass Crimson fountaingrass is a noxious weed that has been identified by the state of Nevada to be harmful to agriculture, the general public, or the environment. Learn more about this weed. Blecker, L., Creech, E., Dick, J., Gephart, S., Hefner, M., Kratsch, H., Moe, A., Schultz, B. 2020, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, Field Guide
Nevada Noxious Weed Field Guide – Johnsongrass Johnsongrass is a noxious weed that has been identified by the state of Nevada to be harmful to agriculture, the general public, or the environment. Learn more about this weed. Blecker, L., Creech, E., Dick, J., Gephart, S., Hefner, M., Kratsch, H., Moe, A., Schultz, B. 2020, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, Field Guide
Nevada Noxious Weed Field Guide – Jointed goatgrass Jointed goatgrass is a noxious weed that has been identified by the state of Nevada to be harmful to agriculture, the general public, or the environment. Learn more about this weed. Blecker, L., Creech, E., Dick, J., Gephart, S., Hefner, M., Kratsch, H., Moe, A., Schultz, B. 2020, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, Field Guide
Oxidative stability of beef from steers finished exclusively with concentrate, supplemented, or on legume-grass pasture Fruet, A.P.B., de Mello, A.S., Trombetta, F., Stefanello, F.S., Speroni, C.S., de Vargas, D.P., de Souza, A.N.M., Rosado Júnior, A.G., Tonetto, C.J., Nörnberg, J.L. 2018, Meat Science

Associated Programs

Garden plant and pest sprayers image by Olga Seifutdinova from Getty Images

Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management program is a long-term management strategy that uses a combination of tactics to reduce pests to tolerable levels with potentially lower costs for the pest manager and minimal effect on the environment.

Master Gardeners of Nevada

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Grow Your Own, Nevada!

Learn the secrets of high desert gardening

Nevada Noxious Weed Field Guide – African mustard