Print Report

CEGL002879 Brassica nigra Ruderal Grassland

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available


Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Black Mustard Ruderal Grassland

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This association is only sampled from the Santa Monica Mountains region. However, it is anecdotally known from much of cismontane California in disturbed pastures and grasslands. This herbaceous association occurs on flat to steep, often northwest-facing slopes at low elevations between 7 and 436 m. Brassica nigra is characteristically abundant in the herbaceous layer, and Leymus condensatus is usually present. Encelia californica and Artemisia californica are occasionally found in the shrub layer at low cover, and Juglans californica is occasionally in the tree layer at low cover.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Although Brassica nigra forms weedy stands throughout much of cismontane California, this is the first time this association has been formally defined. Keeler-Wolf and Evens (2006) consider it an expansion of the widely known California annual grassland alliance, now modified as the California annual grassland/herbaceous alliance to account for some associations being dominated by annual herbs instead of grasses. Some of the stands surveyed at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area seemed to be associated with a recent prescribed burn.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available

Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: Stands of this association at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area form an open to continuous herbaceous layer (18-70%, mean 37.5%) at 0.01-2 m tall. The shrub layer is sparse to open (0-12%, mean 4.4%) at 0-5 m tall. Trees are sometimes emergent (0-7% cover, mean 1.5%) with hardwoods at 0-10 m tall. Total vegetation cover is 23-70%; mean cover is 42.7%. In this association, the herbaceous layer is open to continuous and invasive exotic Brassica nigra is characteristically abundant. Bromus diandrus and Leymus condensatus are usually included in this layer at low cover. The shrub layer occasionally includes Encelia californica and Artemisia californica at sparse cover. The tree layer occasionally includes Juglans californica as an emergent, while Quercus agrifolia and Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea (= Sambucus mexicana) occur infrequently at low cover.

Dynamics:  Until further inventory is completed, there is no global information.

Environmental Description:  Until further inventory is completed, there is no global information.

Geographic Range: This association is only sampled from the Santa Monica Mountains region. However, it is anecdotally known from much of cismontane California in disturbed pastures and grasslands.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CA




Confidence Level: Low

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available

Grank: GNA

Greasons: No Data Available


Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available

Synonomy: = Brassica nigra (Sawyer et al. 2009) [42.011.01]
= Brassica nigra Herbaceous Association (Keeler-Wolf and Evens 2006)
= Brassica nigra Stand Type (Buck-Diaz et al. 2012)
< Bromus (diandrus, hordeaceus, madritensis) Herbaceous Alliance (Reid et al. 1999)
< California Annual Grassland (Sawyer and Keeler-Wolf 1995)
< Non-native Grassland (#42200) (Holland 1986b)

Concept Author(s): T. Keeler-Wolf and J. Evens (2006)

Author of Description: T. Keeler-Wolf and J. Evens

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 11-10-05

  • Buck-Diaz, J., S. Batiuk, and J. M. Evens. 2012. Vegetation alliances and associations of the Great Valley ecoregion, California. California Native Society, Sacramento, CA. [http://cnps.org/cnps/vegetation/pdf/great_valley_eco-vegclass2012.pdf]
  • Holland, R. F. 1986b. Preliminary descriptions of the terrestrial natural communities of California. Unpublished report prepared for the California Department of Fish and Game, Nongame-Heritage Program and Natural Diversity Database, Sacramento. 156 pp.
  • Keeler-Wolf, T., and J. Evens. 2006. Vegetation classification of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and environs in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, California. A report submitted to National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area by California Department of Fish and Game, Wildlife and Habitat Data Analysis Branch and The California Native Plant Society, Vegetation Program, Sacramento, CA.
  • Reid, M. S., K. A. Schulz, P. J. Comer, M. H. Schindel, D. R. Culver, D. A. Sarr, and M. C. Damm. 1999. An alliance level classification of vegetation of the coterminous western United States. Unpublished final report to the University of Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and National Gap Analysis Program, in fulfillment of Cooperative Agreement 1434-HQ-97-AG-01779. The Nature Conservancy, Western Conservation Science Department, Boulder, CO.
  • Sawyer, J. O., T. Keeler-Wolf, and J. Evens. 2009. A manual of California vegetation. Second edition. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento CA. 1300 pp.
  • Sawyer, J. O., and T. Keeler-Wolf. 1995. A manual of California vegetation. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento. 471 pp.
  • Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.