Treacle mustard

Erysimum cheiranthoides

Family: Brassicaceae Genus: Erysimum Species: cheiranthoides

Synonyms: Erysimum cheiranthifolium, Cheirinia cheiranthoides, Erysimum altum, Erysimum cheiranthoides subsp. altum, Erysimum cheiranthoides var. aquaticum, Cheirinia cheiranthoides var. prostrata, Cheiranthus turritoides, Cheiranthus scapigerus, Erysimum cheiranthoides var. nodosum, Erysimum cheiranthoides var. laxa, Sisymbrium cheiranthoides, Erysimum cheiranthoides var. paniculatum, Erysimum japonicum, Conringia turritoides, Erysimum cheiranthoides var. foliolosum, Erysimum rectum, Crucifera erysimum, Cheiranthus aquaticus, Erysimastrum cheiranthus, Erysimum cheiranthoides var. japonicum, Cheiranthus cheiranthoides, Erysimum cheiranthoides var. umbrosa, Cheiranthus cheiranthoides var. prostratus, Erysimum cheiranthoides var. pygmaea, Erysimum cheiranthoides f. brachycarpum, Erysimum cheiranthoides f. dentatum, Erysimum cheiranthoides f. angustifolium, Erysimum cheiranthoides f. dolichocarpum, Erysimum cheiranthoides f. paniculatum

Treacle mustard
Treacle mustard

Botanical Description

Erysimum cheiranthoides (treacle mustard, wormseed wallflower) is a slender, erect, herbaceous annual of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), growing 15–100 cm tall (rarely to 150 cm) on a simple or sparingly branched, ridged green stem bearing scattered short two- to three-rayed appressed (medifixed) hairs. The alternate leaves are lanceolate to elliptic, 2–11 cm long, narrowed to short petioles below and becoming sessile above, with margins that vary from entire to coarsely toothed. From June to August the stem terminates in a long, narrow, gradually elongating raceme of small bright yellow four-petalled cruciferous flowers 5–12 mm in diameter on slender ascending pedicels. The fruit is a slender erect cylindrical siliqua 1–3 cm long (rarely to 5 cm) held away from the stem on short stalks and splitting at maturity to release numerous small pale to dark brown seeds. Native to temperate Eurasia and now widely naturalised across North America, New Zealand, and Argentina, it grows from sea level to about 3,000 m elevation in disturbed open habitats including arable fields, gardens, roadsides, riverbanks, and dry stream beds.

Native Region: Altay, Amur, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Buryatiya, Central European Rus, China North-Central, China South-Central, Chita, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East European Russia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Inner Mongolia, Irkutsk, Japan, Kamchatka, Kazakhstan, Khabarovsk, Kirgizstan, Korea, Krasnoyarsk, Kuril Is., Magadan, Manchuria, Mongolia, Netherlands, North Caucasus, North European Russi, Northwest European R, Norway, Poland, Primorye, Romania, Sakhalin, South European Russi, Sweden, Switzerland, Transcaucasus, Tuva, Ukraine, West Himalaya, West Siberia, Xinjiang, Yakutskiya, Yugoslavia

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.

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