Sinapis
(from the old Greek Sinapi, used by Theophrastus for Mustard). ORD. Cruciferae. A small genus of European and Asiatic herbs, frequently cultivated, now included, by Bentham and Hooker, under Brassica. Calyx of four spreading sepals. Pods sessile, slightly terete or tetragonal; seeds globose. S. alba yields the white, and S. nigra the black, mustard. Both species are indigenous in this country, but are nevertheless largely cultivated. The seedlings or cotyledons of S. nigra, together with those of Lepidium sativum, form the salad well known as Mustard and Cress. Oil is obtained from several plants of this genus. The seeds of S. arvensis (the common Charlock or Corn Mustard) yield a good burning oil. Some authorities regard S. nigra, which, in Palestine, grows to a height of from 10ft. to 12ft., as the Mustard of Scripture, in preference to Salvadora. None of the species possess any horticultural value. See also Cress and Mustard.