About Sisymbrium loeselii L.
Sisymbrium loeselii is a species of flowering plant in the Brassicaceae family. It has several common names: small tumbleweed mustard, false London-rocket, and tall hedge mustard. This plant is native to Eurasia, and it is an introduced species on other continents, where it grows as a common roadside weed in some areas. It is an annual herb that grows a hairy, erect stem which can reach over one meter in height. Its leaf blades are divided into triangular, lance-shaped, and toothed linear lobes, and grow attached to petioles. A raceme of flowers occupies the top of the stem; each flower has bright yellow petals just under one centimeter long. Its fruit is a silique that can reach up to 3.5 centimeters in length, and holds tiny seeds. This plant is allelopathic toward other plant species that grow around it. It produces chemicals that inhibit the germination of seeds of other species, including bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata) and Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis). It also inhibits arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus species, such as Glomus intraradices. The species is named after Johannes Loesel, a German botanist. Its leaves are spicy enough to be used like wasabi, and can also be mixed into salads and other dishes.
