Brassica juncea napiformis
| Brassica juncea | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Late Summer |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Brassica juncea napiformis (common name: root mustard)
Propagation: Seed - sow in situ from June to October. Spring-sown crops tend to run quickly to seed, though they can be eaten whilst still small[1]. It is best not to sow the seed in very hot weather[1].
There are about 5,660 - 6,000 per 0.01 kg (1/3 oz)[2].
Cultivation: Succeeds in full sun in most well-drained moisture-retentive fertile soils[3][4][1]. Prefers a heavy soil and some shade[3]. Dislikes very hot weather[5]. Plants tolerate high rainfall and, although fairly deep rooted, are not very drought resistant[1].
A form of B. juncea that has been selected in the Orient for its edible root[1]. It is fairly hardy, surviving temperatures down to at least -4°c[1].
Plants have a rooting depth of between 90 - 120 cm[2].
A good bee plant[6].
Range: A cultivar of garden origin.
Habitat: Not known in the wild.
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[1]. A peppery flavour that can range from mild to hot, they make a good cooked vegetable[1]. The leaves can also be finely shredded and added to mixed salads[1]. The protein extracted from the leaves mixes well with banana pulp and is well adapted as a pie filling[7].
Flowers and young flowering stems - raw or cooked[8]. Sweet and succulent[9].
An edible semi-drying oil is obtained from the seed[10][11][12][13][7]. The seed contains 25 - 30% oil[6].
The seed is used as a mustard flavouring[14]. It is the source of 'brown mustard'[7], a prepared mustard that is milder than that produced from other species[15]. Pungency of mustard develops when cold water is added to the ground-up seed - an enzyme (myrosin) acts on a glycoside (sinigrin) to produce a sulphur compound. The reaction takes 10 - 15 minutes. Mixing with hot water or vinegar, or adding salt, inhibits the enzyme and produces a mild bitter mustard[15]. Black mustard comes from B. nigra and white mustard from Sinapis alba.
The seed is also used whole in curries and pickles[15]. They are often heated in oil to destroy their pungency and give them a nutty flavour[15].
Sprouted seeds can be added to salads.
Root - raw or cooked[7]. Usually sliced and made into pickles[1].
Medicinal: Reported to be anodyne, aperitif, diuretic, emetic, rubefacient, and stimulant, the plant is a folk remedy for arthritis, foot ache, lumbago, and rheumatism[2].
The seed is used in the treatment of tumours in China[2]. In Korea, the seeds are used in the treatment of abscesses, colds, lumbago, rheumatism, and stomach disorders[2].
The root is used as a galactagogue in Africa[2].
Ingestion may impart a body odour repellent to mosquitoes[2].
Mustard oil is used in the treatment of skin eruptions and ulcers[2]. Believed to be aperient and tonic, the volatile oil is used as a counterirritant and stimulant[2].
In Java the plant is used as an antisyphilitic emmenagogue[2].
Leaves applied to the forehead are said to relieve headache[2].
The Chinese eat the leaves in soups for bladder, inflammation or haemorrhage[2].
Usage: There is some evidence that if this plant is grown as a green manure it is effective in reducing soil-borne root rots in pea crops[1]. This is attributed to chemicals that are given off as the plants decay[1].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Larkcom, Joy. Oriental Vegetables. John Murray, 1991.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Duke, James. Handbook of Energy Crops. 1983.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Simons, Arthur. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin, 1977.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Organ, John. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber, 1960.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Larkcom, Joy. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn, 1980.
- ↑ Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan, 1987.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Schery. Robert. Plants for Man. Prentice Hall, 1972.
- ↑ Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.