California Invasive Plant Council

Hirschfeldia incana

Synonyms: Brassica geniculata, Sinapsis geniculata, Sinapsis incana

Common names: short-pod mustard; Mediterranean mustard; summer mustard; Greek mustard

Hirschfeldia incana (shortpod mustard, summer mustard) is a biennial or short-lived perennial forb (family Brassicaceae) that is becoming an increasing problem in wildlands of southern California. It occurs in coastal scrub and grasslands.

Cal-IPC Rating: Moderate

Cal-IPC Assessment

Plant Assessment Form - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.

Weed Management Notes

• Management Notes - Information on management techniques and effectiveness from the University of California Cooperative Extension’s Weed Research & Information Center.

Cal-IPC Newsletter Articles

• Invasive plants research at UC Riverside. Holt, Jodie S.. Vol 13, Issue 2
• Federally listed species vs. mustard. Kitz, Jo. Vol 08, Issue 1
• Control of exotic plants in an herbaceous understory. Perala, Christine; Hoover, Doris A.; Parra-Szijj, E.A.. Vol 01, Issue 3

Cal-IPC Symposium Presentations

Presentations are linked where available. Where a presentation is not available, find more information by reading the abstract in the Cal-IPC Symposia Archive.

• Mapping weeds and rare plants to inform management and conservation in the Zaca and Jesusita fires. Calloway, Stephanie; Schneider, Heather; Knapp, Denise (2018)
• Evidence that plant-associated methylotrophic bacteria aid in grassland and coastal sage scrub restoration. Irvine, Irina; Witter, Marti; Brigham, Christy; Martiny, Jennifer B.H.; Suding, Katharine (2009)
• Does horse manure harbor invasive plants? Quinn, Lauren; Davis, Bonnie; Kolipinski, Mietek; Ghosh, Sibdas (2006)
• Blurring edges: A test of weed control methods used along edges of sage scrub patches to encourage shrub colonization into abandoned agricultural fields. Maher, Eliza; Stanton, Edward (2005)
• Phenology of Brassica tournefortii in comparison to B. nigra, B. geniculata, and native Mojave Desert annuals. Marushia, Robin; Holt, Jodie (2005)
• California’s fading wildflower legacy. Minnich, Richard A. (2004)
• The effects of fire frequency and firebreaks on the abundance and species richness of exotic plant species in coastal sage scrub. Giessow, Jason; Zedler, Paul (1996)
• Effects of exotic plants on three California ecosystems. Minnich, Richard A. (1994)

Other Hirschfeldia incana Information

• CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.
• Calflora - See the distribution of this species on Calflora's map of California.
• CalWeedMapper - Distribution information with ability to determine regional priorities.
• Jepson Online Interchange for California Flora - Information on taxonomy, biology, and distribution from UC Berkeley's Jepson Herbarium.
• USDA PLANTS Database - Federal database with information on identification and distribution, and links to websites in individual states.
• EDDMapS - North American distribution based on Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System.