W187 



MOUNTAIN PENNYCRESS 



Thlas'pi alpes tre, syns. T. coloraden' se, T. glau'cum, T. purpuras'cens 



Flowers usually white, stalked, in. 

 elongating end clusters (racemes) 



Petals 4, about K in. long, arranged 

 in shape of a cross (cruciform) 



Stamens 6, 2 shorter than the other 4 



Outer flower parts (sepals) greenish 

 or often purplish and with whitish, 

 papery margins, about % as long as 

 petals 



Seed pods (siliques) reverse-heart- to 

 narrowly reverse-egg-shaped, somewhat 

 wing-margined near the square-cut 

 top, usually about % in. long, tipped by 

 persistent, threadlike stalk (style), 2- 

 celled, several-seeded 



Stems usually several and simple, 

 leafy, up to about 12 in. high 



Leaves mostly basal, those on stem 

 alternate, entire to somewhat toothed 

 on margins, hairless but often with 

 bluish "bloom" (glaucous) ; basal leaves 

 oval or reverse-egg- to reverse-lance- 

 shaped, stalked; stem leaves usually 

 less than 1 in. long, egg- to heart- 

 shaped, somewhat clasping the stem 



Taproot often with a branching root 

 crown, perennial 



Mountain pennycress, a small, usually white-flowered, often short-lived, 

 perennial herb, is common in the mountains from British Columbia to Mon- 

 tana, New Mexico, and California, and probably extends southward, in the 

 highest ranges, into Mexico. It also inhabits Europe and Asia, being orig- 

 inally described from central Europe. It is one of the first plants to appear 

 in the spring, growing while the soil is still moist from melting snow and 

 spring rains. The palatability of this well-known plant is poor to fair for 



