Hedge mustard (Sisymbrium officinale) grows
throughout Great Britain and elsewhere, being common on waste ground and
roadsides – it is also found on arable land.
The plant grows up to 36 inches (90
centimetres) in height, forming rigid bristly stems from which leaves and
flower-stems branch almost at right-angles. The leaf-stalks bear paired
leaflets and a terminal leaf, the largest leaves growing near the base of the
plant.
The yellow flowers, which appear from May
to September, are small and partly enclosed by bristly sepals. New flowers grow
at the end of the growing stem as seed-pods form below. The ribbed, hairy
seed-pods overlap as they hug the stem closely.
Hedge mustard can be used in the same way
as black mustard, with the seeds being ground into powder, but it is not as
strongly flavoured and has traditionally been used to make a sauce to go with
fish.
Infusions of hedge mustard have been used,
especially in France, as a gargle to help the voices of actors and singers.
© John Welford
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