jfgaskin's Identifications

Roadside Pennycress (Mummenhoffia Alliacea) comes from the family Brassicaceae and Genus Thlaspi L. It is a winter annual that is also an angiosperm due to its flowering and seed dispersal methods. This plant has medicinal properties when eaten and can be used to treat inflammatory issues and even reduce fever. According to plant-life.org, this plant acts as a “blood purifier”.  
    Roadside Pennycress is edible and is eaten when it is very young, like in the photo above. It is recommended not to eat this plant once it flowers, because its taste will then become bitter. Some describe this plant to have a garlic odor; It also goes by the name Garlic Pennycress. I have also read that if you do eat this, eat it in moderation because it has been found that if you eat this plant in large amounts, you could have gastrointestinal issues. This plant is considered herbaceous with taproot systems. At the bottom of this plant there is a cluster of leaves called the rosette, and the stems will shoot up from this cluster and have small green buds coming out from the stem.
    Phenology: This plant grows very quickly in the spring, and in the early stages of its life it will produce small buds around the stem that will later bloom into small white flowers. This plant is considered an annual herbaceous angiosperm and in the photo above it would be considered a young plant. This flower contains 4 sepals and will have fruit forming below the clusters of white flowers that will bloom at the top of the stem. Due to its white color and landing pad appearance, I suspect this is also a moth pollinator, or butterfly pollinator. Moths prefer white colored flowers because they come out at night, and they do not need bright colors to catch their attention because the moon reflects well off of the white color. Although, moths do prefer to have sweeter nectar and this has a garlic taste.
    Habitat: This plant is most commonly found on roadsides or gardens that receive partial to full sunlight and moist soil. Even though these are its preferences, it can grow in almost any soil condition. This plant is usually considered a winter annual, and in the fall it will produce its flowers, and in the spring it will look like the photo above as a young plant! To reproduce, it has flat seeds that are easily carried by the wind and they prefer clay like soil with good drainage. You can harvest the fruiting bodies of this plant around summer time, but in the photo above you will notice no flowers or fruit, due to it being a very young plant. You can find this in meadows, gardens, near roadsides, or even in grasslands. Personally, I found my species in a “high traffic area” as it was near the wild horse barn and I am sure they get stepped on. It is very moist and has both partial and direct sunlight hitting these specific collections of Roadside Pennycress.
    How Common: This plant is very common due to its hardiness and is most often found in disturbed areas, like the side of the road, like its name! It does well in any type of soil, but is frequently found in poor soil conditions (as well as good) due to it not having to compete with any other fast growing angiosperms. They are not well liked by many animals due to its garlic and bitter taste, so they will continue to drop their seeds and germinate throughout cooler temperatures in the year.
    Size: The rosette of the plant does not get as tall as the stem does and only reaches about 2-4 inches in height. The stem itself can reach up to 10-15 inches, and in the fall when the flowers bloom, they are only a few centimeters in width.

These photos were taken at Red Wolf Sanctuary and Raptor Rehabilitation Center.
Date Taken: 4/19/2024