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Ruderal Plants & Ode to. Rare Mustard
🕑 Added 2025-01-06 03:49:24 +0000 UTCThelypodiopsis shinnersii (syn. Mostacillastrum vaseyi) is a rare annual mustard that's seemingly much more rare than previously thought, most likely due to the same old culprits of habitat destruction and invasive grasses.
It was put on my radar by a friend who spotted it growing in Harlingen, Texas and couldn't figure out what it was. I don't know of many native Brassicas in the region either, and the ones I do know certainly were not this. I looked on SEINET and found only a few herbarium specimens, and when I got to the area - A disturbed patch of vegetation with Borrichia frutescens on the edge of an Ebony woodland I searched the area and couldn't find more than 20 plants.
Though I was pretty sure of the ID I still decided to consult Brassicaceae Expert Dr. Ihsan Al-Shabahz for ID confirmation, which came back positive. Nursery owner Mike Heep was familiar with the species, of course, and knew of a roadside patch North of Harlingen around here : 26.194051,-97.611724 but I found the place overgrown with the same invasive grasses and wasn't able to locate any individuals.
Regardless, it's a cool species with glaucous blue sessile leaves with an auriculate base and tiny white flowers, and it likely doesn't go too far inland as it doesn't seem adapted for drought, preferring instead to stick near Arroyos and waterways.
Comments
Christopher Stickney
Really like that Randia you found. Variations on a theme! Similar looking to Ziziphus obtusifolia that we get out here with the smallish leaves and the spikes that I am assuming protect a small fruit/drupe(?), but obviously that one isn't as drought tolerant what with not having the glaucous leaves. One of the big drivers of weather down in deep south Texas is the sea breeze from the Gulf. That helps push moisture inland, and while it can make it pretty far northwest (almost to Eagle Pass), a lot of moisture is lost by the time it gets to the Zapata area. That's why you have much drier environments just west of McAllen. WHICH ALSO is around the 100th meridian.
Jamie V
Oh how cool, mustards good bad and otherwise are damn interesting 🧐
