SPECIES DESCRIPTION
MICROTHLAPSI PERFOLIATUM
Family and Genus:- See- CRUCIFERAE/Sect. THLASPI
Common Names:- Perfoliate penny-cress
Homotypic Synonyms:- Crucifera perfoliata, Kandis perfoliata, Noccaea
perfoliata, Thlaspi perfoliatum.
Meaning:- Microthlaspi (Gr) Small cress seeds.
Perfoliatum (L) The stem appearing to pass through the leaf blade.
General description:- Herbaceous, glaucous, glabrous annual.
Stems:-
1) 1 to several, 5-20(-30) cm.
Leaves:-
1) Basal, forming a loose rosette. inversely ovate, petiolate.
2) Cauline, few, relatively large, amplexicaul, with rounded auricles, ovate to
oblong, entire to denticulate.
Flower:-
1) Raceme, dense at anthesis, 2-10 cm in fruit.
2) Petals, subequal, not more than 2.5 mm, white.
3) Sepals, 1-1·7 mm, with broad, white margins.
4) Pedicels, patent, 4-8 mm, remaining slender.
5) Anthers, yellow.
6) Stamens, shorter than the petals.
7) Style, 0-3mm included within the wide and fairly deep notch.
Fruit:-
1) Siliculae, 4-7 mm, broadly obcordate, winged above the wings 1-1.5 mm broad at
the apex, shallowly notched.
2) Seeds, 3-4 in each compartment, almost smooth.
Key features:-
1) Silicula, 5-7 mm, with wing up to 1·5 mm wide.
2) Seeds, smooth, 3 or 4 in each loculus.
3) Style, very short, included within the notch of the ripe fruit.
4) Upper cauline leaves, ovate, cordate-amplexicaul at the base.
Habitat:- In a variety of habitats from sea level to 2000 m.
Distribution:- Throughout Greece. - Widespread in Europe and SW Asia. On Crete
mainly confined to the three main massiffs.
Flowering time:- Mar-July, depending on altitude.
Photos by:- Steve Lenton
