22 BRASSICA (SINAPIS) NIGRA 



oblong-linear, erect or adpressed to the axis of the raceme, 

 somewhat quadrangular, glabrous, tipped with a short tapering 

 beak, dehiscent by two valves, each of which is keeled by a 

 single dorsal vein, 2 -celled, with 3 7 seeds in a single row in 

 each cell, and none in the beak. Seeds roundish-oval, about 33 

 inch in diameter; testa dark, brownish-red, minutely pitted to 

 the naked eye ; embryo large, the cotyledons conduplicate, the 

 outer one larger and enclosing the inner, which is folded round 

 the bent-up radicle ; endosperm none. 



Habitat. Black mustard is a weed in waste and cultivated 

 ground throughout England and the South of Scotland, 

 but is perhaps doubtfully native here. It grows throughout 

 Europe, except the extreme north-east parts, Asia Minor, North- 

 West India, South Siberia, and North Africa, and has become 

 naturalised in North and South America. It is cultivated in 

 England in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, and in parts of Germany 

 Holland, and Italy. 



The genus Sinapis cannot be kept separate from Brassica by 

 any satisfactory characters. 



DC. Syst., ii, p. 608; Syme, E. B., i, p. 126; Hook, f., Stud. Fl., 

 p. 30 ; Watson, Comp. Cyb. Br., p. 104 ; Gr. & Godr., Fl. France, 

 i, p. 77; Hook, f., Fl. Ind., i, p. 156; Lindl., Fl. Med., p. 92. 



Official Parts and Names. 1 . SINAPIS ; the seeds of Sinapis 

 nigra, Linn., and Sinapis alba, Linn., reduced to powder, mixed : 

 2. OLEUM SINAPIS ; the oil distilled with water from the seeds 

 of Black Mustard, Sinapis nigra, Linn., after the expression of 

 the fixed oil (B. P.). A mixture of the seeds of both the above 

 species reduced to powder (Sinapis, Mustard) (I. P.). SINAPIS 

 NIGKA; the seeds of Sinapis nigra (U. S. P.). 



1. SINAPIS. Mustard being a mixture of the powdered seeds of 

 both Sinapis nigra, Slack Mustard, and Sinapis alba, White 

 Mustard, we shall reserve our notice of this substance until we have 

 described separately the characters of the two kinds of seeds of 

 which it is composed. (See Sinapis, under Sinapis alba.) 



General Characters and Composition of Black Mustard Seeds. 

 Black mustard seeds, or as they are also sometimes termed Brown 



