''Hirschfeldia incana'' (formerly ''Brassica geniculata'') is a species of flowering plant in the

mustard family Brassicaceae () or (the older) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous plants, while some are shrubs. The le ...

known by many common names, including shortpod mustard, buchanweed, hoary mustard and Mediterranean mustard. It is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Hirschfeldia'', which is closely related to ''

Brassica ''Brassica'' () is a genus of plants in the cabbage and mustard family (Brassicaceae). The members of the genus are informally known as cruciferous vegetables, cabbages, or mustard plants. Crops from this genus are sometimes called ''cole cr ...

''.Warwick, S., ''et al.'
Guide to Wild Germplasm of ''Brassica'' and Allied Crops (tribe Brassiceae, Brassicaceae). 2nd Edition.
Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada. The species is native to the

Mediterranean Basin In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin (; also known as the Mediterranean Region or sometimes Mediterranea) is the region of lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have mostly a Mediterranean climate, with mild to cool, rainy winters and w ...

but it can be found in many parts of the world as an

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived there ...

and often a very abundant

noxious weed A noxious weed, harmful weed or injurious weed is a weed that has been designated by an agricultural or other governing authority as a plant that is injurious to agricultural or horticultural crops, natural habitats or ecosystems, or humans or liv ...

.PIER Weeds of the Pacific
This mustard is very similar in appearance to

black mustard ''Brassica nigra'', or black mustard, is an annual plant cultivated for its dark-brown-to-black seeds, which are commonly used as a spice. It is native to tropical regions of North Africa, temperate regions of Europe, and parts of Asia. Descrip ...

, but is generally shorter.Identification: ''B. nigra'' v. ''H. incana''
/ref> It forms a wide basal rosette of lobed leaves which lie flat on the ground, and it keeps its leaves while flowering.Jepson Manual Treatment
/ref> Its stem and foliage have soft white hairs. Unlike black mustard, ''H. incana'' is a perennial plant. Its leaves are edible and traditionally were used in some areas as a

leaf vegetable Leaf vegetables, also called leafy greens, pot herbs, vegetable greens, or simply greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots. Leaf vegetables eaten raw in a salad can be called salad gre ...

.PFAF ''Hirschfeldia incana''
/ref>

References

External links

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USDA Plants ProfilePhoto gallery
Israel Wildflowers Brassicaceae Monotypic Brassicaceae genera {{Brassicales-stub