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Datasheet Publication:
Oct-2007 (last update: none)
Citation for this page
Mifsud, S. (2007). Online Flora of the Maltese Islands (2002-2026): Sinapis alba - datasheet published on Oct-2007. Retrieved on 06-Aug-2026 from https://www.MaltaWildPlants.com/CRUC/#CRUC
Brassicaceae Juss. (The Mustard or Cress Family) Previously included in Cruciferae 47 species from the Brassicaceae family are recorded from the Maltese Islands.
English name(s) :
White Mustard, White Charlock, Yellow Mustard
Maltese name(s) :
Mustarda, Mustarda Bajda
Status for Malta :
Indigenous. Present on the Maltese islands before man
Frequency :
Very Common Common Frequent Scarce Rare Very rare Extinct
Growth form :
Germination type [info]: Dicotyledon
Raunkiaer lifeform [info]: Therophyte ( annual plants, herbaceous, die after fruiting/seeding stage )
Legal Protection :
Not legally protected till the last update of this website (22/Aug/2025)
Red List (1989) :
Not listed in the Red Data Book of the Maltese Islands
Flowering Time :
December – April
Colour of Flowers:
Yellow
Toxicity:
Not particularly toxic
Name Derivation :
Sinapis: Latin name for mustard, as where the first plants of this genus. (Latin origin)
alba: Having a white colour. (Latin origin); 2. the white colour probably alludes to the silky white appearance of the fruit pods due to their long white bristles. (Latin origin)
Planting in rural areas :
Can be planted in rural areas according to ERA Guidelines
Description, Habitat and Distribution
Botanical Description
Annual; stems up to 80 cm, usually with stiff, deflexed hairs (rarely glabrous). Leaves usually hispid but not scabrid, all petiolate. Petals 8-15 mm. Siliqua 20-40 x 3-6.5 mm, patent; beak 10-30 mm, flat, attenuate. Seeds 4-8.
Habitat in Europe
Usually a weed of cultivated land
Preferred habitat in Malta
Uncultivated fields and wasteland especially on calcareous soils.
Distributional range
Perhaps native in much of Europe but widespread as an alien in other parts
Occurrences in Europe (from Flora Europaea till 1993)
All Europe except Svalbard archipelago, but only casual in the Azores, Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Russia and former USSR
Occurrences in Europe (from Euro+Med Checklist till 2024) Country codes
AE(G) Ag Al Au Be Bl(I M N) Br Bu dCa(C F G H L P T) Co Cr Ct Cy Da Eg Ga(F) Ge Gr Hb He Ho Hs(S) Hu IJ It Li LS Lu Ma Mo No Po Rm Sa Si(M S) ?Sl Su Tn Tu(A E) Uk(K) [Au(A) Az(F) Cs Es Ge Hb(E) He La Lt cMk No Po Rf Rm dSi(M) cSk Sl cUk Uk(U)]
Kindly Email if there are papers and publications about local
studies or information about this species to be included in the list above.
Species Images (48 images)
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-0.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-1.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-2.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-3.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-4.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-5.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-6.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-7.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-8.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-9.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-10.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-11.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-12.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-13.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-14.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-15.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-16.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-17.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-18.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-19.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-20.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-21.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-22.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-23.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-24.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-25.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-26.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-27.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-28.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-29.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-30.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-31.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-32.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-33.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-34.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-35.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-36.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-37.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-38.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-39.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-40.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-41.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-42.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-43.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-44.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-45.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-46.
Sinapis alba - Image Code: SNPAL-47.
Sales and Donations
Sales of seeds of wild plant from Malta: Seeds of selected wild plant species may be available for academic studies, research purposes, or personal use. Please note that not all species can be supplied or exported. Availability is subject to seasonal seed production, stock levels, and applicable regulations, including Maltese legislation and CITES requirements where relevant. Protected and endemic species cannot be sold (at least without the relevant environmental permits).
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Atlas Flora Europaea
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