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Mustard plant

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Plants

                  iMustard
   Wild Mustard (Brassica campestris)
   Wild Mustard (Brassica campestris)
         Scientific classification

   Kingdom:  Plantae
   Division: Magnoliophyta
   Class:    Magnoliopsida
   Order:    Brassicales
   Family:   Brassicaceae
   Genus:    Brassica

                                   Species

   See text.

   The mustards are several plant species in the genera Brassica and
   Sinapis whose proverbially tiny mustard seeds are used as a spice and,
   by grinding and mixing them with water, vinegar or other liquids, are
   turned into a condiment also known as mustard. The seeds are also
   pressed to make mustard oil, and the edible leaves can be eaten as
   mustard greens.

   Mild white mustard ( Sinapis hirta) grows wild in North Africa, the
   Middle East and Mediterranean Europe and has spread farther by long
   cultivation; brown or Indian mustard ( B. juncea), originally from the
   foothills of the Himalaya, is grown commercially in the UK, Canada and
   the US; black mustard ( B. nigra) in Argentina, Chile, the US and some
   European countries. Canada grows 90% of all the mustard seed for the
   international market.

   In addition to the mustards, the genus Brassica also includes cabbages,
   cauliflower, rapeseed and turnips.

   There has been recent research into varieties of mustards that have a
   high oil content for use in the production of biodiesel, a renewable
   liquid fuel similar to diesel fuel. The biodiesel made from mustard oil
   has good cold flow properties and cetane ratings. The leftover meal
   after pressing out the oil has also been found to be an effective
   pesticide.

   An interesting genetic relationship between many species of mustard
   have been observed, and is described as the Triangle of U.

Varieties

     * Brassica juncea
     * Brassica oleracea

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