About this Book

This large-scale work draws together over 50 years of research and study by the world's leading authority on the important plant family Cruciferae. Worldwide, the mustards, which are morphologically diverse and economically valuable, comprise roughly 350 genera and perhaps 3500 species. Included in the Cruciferae are vegetables (radish, cabbage, broccoli, turnip, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts), ornamental species (stock, sweet alyssum), familiar condiment sources, the bases for both edible and industrial oils, and the annual wildflowers and weeds that blanket so many landscapes in spring and summer. Taxonomic criteria and the systematics of every species of the family known to occur in continental North America, including the weeds and cultivated introductions from Europe and Asia are detailed here. Such coverage, much of it drawn from the author's own research, has not been attempted since 1838. The book describes eight new species and 16 new varieties and reassigns 32 taxa to different genera or species.