Flixweed
| Botanical Name | Descurainia sophia |
| Common Name | Flixweed |
| Family | Brassicaceae - Mustard |
| Description | This annual or biennial’s stems are commonly branched. Its leaves are fern-like. This mustard is distinguished from other mustards because of these finely divided leaves. |
| Mature Size | Up to 2’ |
| Bloom | In April and May this plant produces very small, whitish, greenish or yellow, 4-petaled flowers. The seed pods are ¾” – 1 ½ “ long and are always very narrow. They contain minuscule seeds. |
| Interesting Facts | This common weed was introduced from Europe. |
| Traditional and Medicinal Uses | Indians pounded the dry pods and the accumulated seeds were then parched and ground into a meal. This was cooked into a mush, made into bread or used to thicken soups. They also used the young, tender growth as a potherb. It was usually only considered an emergency food. |
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Photo by Janice Tucker for SFBG
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Photo by Janice Tucker for SFBG
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