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northern tansymustard

Scientific Name: Descurainia sophioides

Family: Brassicaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth: Forb/herb

Duration: Annual, Biennial

Other Names:

       

Northern Tansymustard: A Botanical Overview

This page provides information about plants in the genus Descurainia, particularly focusing on species like Descurainia sophioides and Descurainia pinnata.

Common and Scientific Names

  • Genus: Descurainia
  • Common Names: Tansymustard (general), Northern Tansymustard (specifically referring to Descurainia sophioides), Mountain Tansymustard
  • Species:
    • Descurainia sophioides (Northern Tansymustard)
    • Descurainia pinnata (Pinnate Tansymustard, Western Tansymustard)
    • Descurainia incana (Mountain Tansymustard)
    • Descurainia sophia (Flixweed Tansymustard, Herb Sophia)

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Family: Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)
  • Synonyms: Mentions Sophia brachycarpa as a synonym for one of the subspecies of Descurainia pinnata.

Distribution and Habitat

  • Mountain Tansymustard is native to northern and western North America, found in New England (specifically northern Maine) inhabiting cliffs and talus slopes.
  • Tansy Mustard (species unspecified) is widely distributed in central and northern Illinois.
  • Pinnate Tansymustard has been observed on both cool northern aspects in Utah.
  • Northern Tansymustard can be found filling a niche in South-Central Alaska.
  • Generally a chiefly northern plant extending south to New England, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Texas.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Tansy Mustard foliage is usually some shade of green.
  • Stem: Up to 3 feet tall, branched.
  • Flower: Tiny greenish yellow.
  • Leaves: Many pinnately compound.

Ecological Role

  • The text mentions Descurainia sophia (Flixweed) and its relationship to fire, however not much else is detailed.

Quirky Facts

  • The genus Descurainia is named after the 18th-century French botanist and physician/pharmacist François Descain (1658-1740).

Further Information

  • Discover Life offers a page about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Descurainia sophioides.
  • Encyclopedia of Life includes data and articles about Descurainia sophioides.
  • USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database provides information on various Descurainia species, including Mountain Tansymustard.
  • References an illustrated flora of the northern United States (Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913) as a source of information.