Thlaspi caerulescens

taxobox
name = "Thlaspi caerulescens"

---

regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Eudicots
unranked_ordo = Rosids
ordo = Brassicales
familia = Brassicaceae
genus = "Thlaspi"
species = "T. caerulescens"
binomial = "Thlaspi caerulescens"
range_

range_map_caption = Range of "T. caerulescens" within the United States
synonyms = "T. alpestre"|

Alpine Pennycress ("Thlaspi caerulescens"), also known as Alpine Pennygrass, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is a small perennial plant that has small basal rosettes of leaves that "grow one or several short, unbranched stems that have small, arrow-shaped leaves and end in dense racemes of tiny white flowers." [cite web |author=Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center |year=2005 |title="Thlaspi montanum" |accessdate=11 February |accessyear=2006 |publisher=Native Plant Information |url=http://www.wildflower2.org/NPIN/Plants/Detail.asp?Scientific_Name=Thlaspi%20montanum]

In the US, Alpine Pennycress is found almost completely on the western states (west of Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana). In Sweden and Finland, it is found in all but the most northern regions, and flowers in April. It is also found in the Alps, the Massif Central, the Pyrenees, eastern Norway, southern Germany and northern England. [ [http://linnaeus.nrm.se/flora/di/brassica/thlas/thlacae.html Den virtuella floran] , Naturhistoriska riksmuseet, 25 October 2004]

In addition to being just a wildflower, Alpine Pennycress has been cited to have special phytoextractional properties and is known to absorb cadmium with very good results and in certain instances is said to have absorbed zinc as well. [cite web |author=Comis, D. |year=2000 |title=Phytoremediation: using plants to clean up soils |publisher=Agricultural Research |accessdate=4 March|accessyear=2006 |url=http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun00/soil0600.htm]

References