Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_1993.JPG-09-10-2017
Flower name (scientific): Thlaspi arvense Linnaeus PY: 1753. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) THLAS-pee ar-VEN-see
Flower name (common): Field Pennycress
Family name (common): Mustard
Family name (scientific): Brassicaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: A kind of cress, from which the crushed seeds were used as a condiment.
    Specific epithet: Of the fields.
Common name origin: From a common habitat and the appearance of the seed pods, supposedly resembling the shape of an English penny.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.1 to 0.2 inches (0.3 to 0.5 cm)
     Petal count: 4
     Color: white
     Other: flower arrangement, Raceme
Plant description: Erect
     Size: 4 to 20 inches (10 to 51 cm)
     Stem hairy:
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is basal and alternate, type is simple
     Size: Basal leaves up to 5 to 8 cm long and up to 2.3 cm wide. Cauline leaves up to 4 to 8 cm long and up to 1.5 to 2.5 cm wide.
     Color:
     Hairy:
     Other: Shape: leaf, (basal) oblanceolate, spatulate, or obovate, (cauline) oblong (FNA)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Introduced, naturalized.
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Common
Bloom time (typical): April to June
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Annual
Habitat: Fields, meadows, disturbed areas, roadsides, waste areas, sun.
Fruit:
Seed:
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): When present, the seedpods with there characteristic flat elliptic, obovate, or oval shape help to ID Thlaspi arvense. Thlaspi alliaceum has some resemblance, but this has a more south-eastern US states distribution, and is not reported in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois. Lepidium campestre (Field Peppergrass, Field Cress) and Lepidium chalepense (Lens-Podded Hoary Cress, Lens-podded Whitetop) have some resemblance. The latter species is not recorded from Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Micgigan, and can be distinguished from T. arvense by the spherical-shaped fruits. The seedpods of T. arvense are broadly winged over the entire length, which helps to differentiate this species from the papillate fruits of L. campestre.
Ethnobotany: No recorded uses by tribes from Wisconsin. The Iroquois used the plant to treat sore throat. The Cherokee used the plant as a food source (Moerman, pp. 556-557, 1998).
Latitude:
Longitude:
Altitude:
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Calumet, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (AB, BC, LB, MB, NB, NF, NS, NT, ON, PE, QC, SK, YT) Click here for distribution map
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: na
Homotypic Synonym(s):
Heterotypic Synonym(s):
Autonym: na
Wetland Status (NC): UPL
Wetland Status (MW): FACU