BRASSICA CAMPESTRIS L.

Common name: Mustard, Leaf mustard, Indian mustard • Hindi: Sarson सरसों • Manipuri: Hangam •Tamil: கடுகு Kadugu

Botanical name: Brassica juncea    

Family: Brassicaceae (mustard family)

Introduction Leaf mustard is a cool-season annual, usually grown for its variable, glabrous, rather thin basal leaves which are eaten raw or cooked like spinach. As day length increases, mustard bolts up with a 3 ft (0.9 m) stalk supporting bright yellow flowers that soon develop into sickle-shaped green seed pods. Mustard is used by people in three ways:

* it is eaten as a green vegetable;

* the seeds are a source of a mild tasting nonvolatile oil; and

* its major use has been as a spice. Mustard seeds have been used as a spice at least since written history began in Babylonia and India and their use is frequently referred to in Greek and Roman writings and in the Bible. Traditional mustard is made by mixing a small amount of White Mustard Sinapis alba, with a lot of Black Mustard seeds as well as adding other spices. 

Geographical distribution

The plant occurs throughout India and is

cultivated.

Chemical composition

The seeds contain sinalbin.

Therapeutic uses

It is anthelmintic, anodyne, antiscorbutic, aphrodisiac, antileprotic, carminative,

diuretic, emollient, expectorant and tonic.

Folk medicinal uses

The seed oil (mustard oil) is used as massage to strengthening muscles and also

useful in skin eruptions.

Preparations

Sarsapadi-pralep, karanjadi-yog, yograj-guggulu, laghu-vis-garva taila, and

vidangadi lep.

Flowers : January-April