2

I found this weed on my lawn under melting snow cover. It has toothed leaves hugging the stems; tiny white flowers in bunches; older and rounder leaves surrounding the flower bunches:

overview of plant

closeup of flowers and older leaves

closeup of toothed leaf

Does anyone know what it is? Thank you!

  • 1
    It looks like it could be a mustard. Are the flowers four-petalled? Does the plant have a spicy odor if you crush some leaves? A picture with the flowers open would be helpful. I strongly recommend that you not allow this plant to set seed. – Jurp Apr 04 '19 at 00:01
  • I agree with @Jurp. It is in the family of mustard. Often difficult to identify, but you have the fruits! Could you tell us some more about where you live? I expect Norther hemisphere (because of snow). – Giacomo Catenazzi Apr 04 '19 at 07:36
  • @Jurp Yes there are four petals. I'll check later on this week for the scent, when it'll be less windy and the plant stronger.The second picture is the closer I can get with my camera; the flowers are too small to be picked up if my focus is too close. Haha, you're saying this warning to the wrong person. :) I'm a forager, so I look for edible wild greens, and allow them to get more "domesticated". – AlphaBeta01 Apr 04 '19 at 19:43
  • @GiacomoCatenazzi I live in Québec, Zone 4. :) I haven't thought of mustard! I thought they flowered much later on in the summer... – AlphaBeta01 Apr 04 '19 at 19:47
  • @GiacomoCatenazzi I found it: Thlaspi arvense - Field Penny-cress (http://www.habitas.org.uk/flora/species.asp?item=2841) You guys were right, it was in the mustard family, but I had to check the Netherlands varieties, as those grow much earlier in the spring. And very happy to learn they're edibles... tastes quite peppery, a bit like a tame wasabi. – AlphaBeta01 Apr 04 '19 at 20:31
  • @Jurp I found it: Thlaspi arvense - Field Penny-cress (http://www.habitas.org.uk/flora/species.asp?item=2841) You guys were right, it was in the mustard family, but I had to check the Netherlands varieties, as those grow much earlier in the spring. And very happy to learn they're edibles... tastes quite peppery, a bit like a tame wasabi. – AlphaBeta01 Apr 04 '19 at 20:31
  • 1
    The reason I recommended that you pull it before seeding is because its seedpods will likely "shatter" when ripe, throwing seed many feet away from the mother plant. Since you're a forager, this may not be so bad at first, but you CAN have too much of a good thing, right? :) I think that you should also enter your ID as an answer to your own question, so that future users can find it easier. – Jurp Apr 04 '19 at 22:05
  • @Jurp Thank you for the advice! – AlphaBeta01 Apr 05 '19 at 22:32
  • Hint: it’s perfectly ok to answer your own question if you found the answer... thus future readers can also benefit from it. – Stephie Apr 06 '19 at 05:28
  • @Stephie Thanks! I was trying to find where I could answer, but now I found it. :) – AlphaBeta01 Apr 07 '19 at 10:33

1 Answers1

1

Answered: the Field Penny-Cress, Thlaspi arvense (http://www.habitas.org.uk/flora/species.asp?item=2841). In the mustard family, easily identifiable (once you know that the little round green "leaves" are in fact seed pods); but in the Netherlands varieties, as they grow much earlier in spring. Bonus: they're edibles, with a tame wasabi-like aftertaste.