Wild Turnip

Brassica rapa subsp. sylvestris

A member of the Brassicaceae family, wild turnip (Brassica rapa subsp. sylvestris) is a persistent annual found in arable crops in Canterbury and Southland, and throughout New Zealand. Sometimes known as field mustard, the lower leaves have bristly hairs and are divided into pairs of lobes on the lower half of the leaf, whilst the upper part is one large terminal lobe. The upper leaves are smooth and lance-shaped. The flowers are bright yellow with four petals. The open flowers are at the top of the branched stems; the unopened buds below. The flowers later form linear pods.

Cotyledons:

Apex notched
Base flat
Stalked

Leaves:

Long stemmed
Oval shaped with round tips
Shallow notches

Related Pests

Wild Radish - Charlock

Raphanus raphanistrum

Wild radish or Charlock (Raphanus raphanistrum) is a rapidly spreading, invasive, frost hardy plant found throughout New Zealand, except in Taranaki. Annual or biennial, it is usually found growing on roadsides, waste grounds and disturbed ground. It grows to 80 cm tall, and during October to April has white yellow or lilac flowers 15-20 mm with 4 petals. The leaves and stems are dark green, rough and bristly. Pods develop up to 6 cm long, containing 5 to 8 seeds which can break into individual sections.

Sow Thistle

Sonchus oleraceus

Sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) - or puha - is common throughout New Zealand in crops, gardens and waste areas. It is an annual that starts as a rosette that develops a tall, leafy and succulent stem with yellow flowers up to 1 m tall. The leaves are often collected and cooked as a vegetable (puha) in New Zealand.

Storksbill

Erodium cicutarium

Storksbill (Erodium cicutarium) is an invasive, sticky, hairy plant which grows in rossetes up to 30 cm across. It is widespread throughout New Zealand in drier coastal and lowland areas, and found in pasture, grassland and arable land. The leaves are pinnate, resemble ferns, and are divided into pairs of leaflets. The flowers are a mauve-pink colour, have five undivided petals, and are arranged in loose clusters on reddish coloured hairy stalks. Flowering is September to May.

The seeds are contained in a long seed-pod which resembles the bill of a stork. When ripe the seed-pod bursts open into five strips, launching the seeds like little parachutes, or by means of the strips which have seeds attached to them, burying themselves into loose soil.