Thlaspi montanum L.

Thlaspi species are annual, biennial or perennial herbs, glabrous or glaucous, rarely pubescent with simple trichomes, not scapose, with foetid smell when crushed. Stem erect or prostrate, ascending, simple or branched distally. Basal leaves rosulate or not, obovate-lanceolate to oblong, margin entire to dentate, apex acuminate, petiole short to subsessile, cauline leaves gradually smaller, base amplexicaul, auriculate or saggitate, margins entire rarely dentate, petiole sessile. Inflorescence racemes, many or several flowered, elongated in fruit, ebracteate. Flowers bisexual, white, rarely purple or yellow, pedicel erect or rarely reflexed, divaricate, slender, ascending, sepals 4, erect or spreading, linear ovate-oblong, margin membranous, inner lateral pair base not saccate, petals 4, obovate-oblanceolate to spathulate, margins entire, apex obtuse or emarginate, claw distinct or not. Stamens 6, slightly tetradynamous, filaments dilated or not near the base, anthers ovate-oblong, apex obtuse rarely apiculate, nectar glands 2-4, lateral usually subtending the bases of stamens, median glands absent. Ovary superior, bicarpellary, ovules 6-24. Fruit silicula, dehiscent, linear oblong to elliptic, orbicular to obcordate, compressed laterally, apically notched, sessile, angustiseptate, smooth or torulose, valves glabrous, winged throughout or apically, replum rounded, septum complete, membranous, style obsolete or not, sometimes included in the apical notch, stigma capitate, entire or bilobed. Seeds uniseriate, brown, plump, oblong-ovoid or ellipsoid, not winged, smooth or coarsely reticulate, mucilaginous or not when soaked, cotyledons accumbent.

Thlaspi species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: April—August.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Annual herbs, glabrous or mostly glaucous, about 15-30 cm tall, not scapose, with fetid smell when crushed. Stem erect or procumbent, simple or corymbosely branched from the caudex. Basal radical leaves in rosulate, obovate-oblong to spathulate, about 1.5-8 x 0.4-2.2 cm across, base cuneate to attenuate, margin entire, apex obtuse, petiole short, cauline leaves gradually smaller, ovate-oblong, about 1.3 x 0.3-1.5 cm across, base amplexicaul or auriculate, clasping, margins entire, apex subacute to acute, petiole sessile. Inflorescence racemes, 10-25 flowered, elongated in fruit, up to 15 cm long in fruit, ebracteate. Flowers bisexual, white or purplish pink, pedicel erect or slightly reflexed, divaricate, slender, horizontal ascending, about 6-8 mm long in fruit, sepals 4, erect or spreading, ovate-oblong, margins purplish green hyaline, inner lateral pair base not saccate, about 2.5-3 mm long, petals 4, obovate-oblanceolate to spathulate, base cuneate, margins entire, veined, apex obtuse, about 4-7 x 3 mm across. Stamens 6, slightly tetradynamous, filaments dilated or not near the base, anthers ovate-oblong. Ovary superior, bicarpellary, ovules 6-16. Fruit silicula, dehiscent, obcordate, obovate or suborbicular, about 4-8 x 2-3.5 mm across, slightly compressed, obscurely to slightly winged near the apex, sessile, angustiseptate, base acute, apex truncate to distinctly subemarginate to emarginate, apically notched, valves glabrous, replum rounded, septum complete, membranous, style about 1-2 mm long, stigma capitate. Seeds 2-4 in each locule, light brown, plump, oblong-ovoid, about 1.5 mm across, not winged, coarsely reticulate, not mucilaginous when soaked, cotyledons accumbent.

Thlaspi species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus, mildews and moulds.

Mountain slopes, Himalayas.

Not evaluated (IUCN).