[The Mustard Family East of the Cascade Mts]
Hare's-Ear Mustard, Hare's Ear Mustard, Hedge Cabbage, Treacle Mustard

Conringia orientalis

Synonym: Brassica orientalis

Inflorescence of Hare's-Ear Mustard, Hare's Ear Mustard, Hedge Cabbage, Treacle Mustard: Conringia orientalis (Synonym: Brassica orientalis)

The photo above is a close-up view of the flowers and upper stem leaf of hare's-ear as seen along Oregon Highway 207 about one mile northwest of Mitchell, OR...............May 28, 2007.
Characteristics:

Hare's-ear is an annual with simple to sparsely branched stems from 30-70 cm high. The herbage of the stems and leaves is mostly hairless and bluish-green in color. The basal leaves have obovate to oblanceolate blades which taper gradually to their base. The margins are mostly entire and the leaves are 5-9 cm long. The stem leaves are smaller with sessile, clasping, heart-shaped bases. They are oblong-lanceolate in shape.

The inflorescence is a few-flowered corymbiform raceme which elongates after bloom. The flower pedicels ascend and measure 10-15 mm long. The sepals are erect with acute tips and measure from 6-8 mm long. The 4 cream to lemon petals are 7-12 mm long with narrowly obovate blades and a slender claw at the base. The fruits are siliques from 8-13 cm long and from 1.5-2 mm thick. They taper to a point and are moderately constricted between seeds.

Habitat:

A weedy species, hare's-ear may be found in disturbed areas such as roadsides, waste areas, and grazed or disturbed meadows.

Range:

Native to Europe, hare's-ear may be found across much of North America. In the Pacific Northwest, it is more common east of the Cascade Mts.

Stem leaves of Hare's-Ear Mustard, Hare's Ear Mustard, Hedge Cabbage, Treacle Mustard: Conringia orientalis (Synonym: Brassica orientalis)

The photo above is a close-up of the leafy stems of hare's-ear as seen along Oregon Highway w07 about one mile northwest of Mitchell, OR...............May 28, 2007. Note the clasping leaf bases, glaucous color to the leaf blades and long, narrow fruits (out of focus here).

Inflorescence of Hare's-Ear Mustard, Hare's Ear Mustard, Hedge Cabbage, Treacle Mustard: Conringia orientalis (Synonym: Brassica orientalis)

The photo above shows another close-up view of the flowers of hare's-ear as seen along Oregon Highway 207 about one mile northwest of Mitchell, OR...............May 28, 2007.

Hare's-Ear Mustard, Hare's Ear Mustard, Hedge Cabbage, Treacle Mustard: Conringia orientalis (Synonym: Brassica orientalis)

The photo at right is a close-up of the flowers, stem and leaves of hare's-ear as seen in Brooks Meadow, to the east of Mt. Hood, Mt. Hood N.F...........6/21/1997. Note the sessile, clasping stem leaves and glaucous appearance of the plant

The photo above is a close-up of the flowers of hare's-ear as seen in Brooks Meadow, to the east of Mt. Hood, Mt. Hood N.F...........6/21/1997.
Paul Slichter