HOARY CRESS
File Size: 120 KB
 
Cardaria draba   (L. ) Desv.
Riley County, Kansas
Perennial
Height: 4-24 inches
Family: Brassicaceae - Mustard Family
Flowering Period:   April, May, June, July
Also Called: Whitetop.
Stems: Erect, stout, branching above, short-hairy below, nearly smooth above.
Leaves: Alternate, simple, bluish-green, oblong to egg-shaped, ascending or erect; margins irregularly toothed, wavy or entire; basal leaves stalked, 1.6 to 4 inches long, to 1.6 inches wide; upper leaves clasping, oblong to lanceolate, .8 to 2.8 inches long.
Inflorescences: Racemes, numerous, densely-flowered, terminal; form broad, flat-topped corymbs.
Flowers: Stalk 2/5 to 3/5 inch long; sepals 4, blunt, glabrous, 1/12 to 1/10 inch long; petals 4, spatulate, 1/8 to 1/6 inch long, white to cream, clawed; margins toothed to entire; nectar glands large, well-developed; stamens 6.
Fruits: Pod, broadly heart-shaped, 1/10 to 1/8 inch long, 1/8 to 1/5 inch wide, somewhat flattened, glabrous; stalks 2/5 to 3/5 inch long, seeds 2-4, oval, about 1/12 inch wide, reddish-brown.
Habitat: Roadsides, open waste areas, cultivated fields; disturbed, alkaline soils.
Distribution: East 3/4 of Kansas.
Origin: Native to Eurasia; introduced.
Forage Value: Livestock will graze it when other forage is unavailable but it will irritate the mucous membranes.
Uses: Small mammals and ground-foraging birds eat the seeds.
Comments: An aggressive weed that forms large stands. It is difficult to eradicate and is a serious problem in the western U.S.

Hoary cress flowers
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Riley County, Kansas
Hoary cress inflorescence
103 KB
Riley County, Kansas
Hoary cress inflorescence
103 KB
Riley County, Kansas
Hoary cress pods
92 KB
Riley County, Kansas
Hoary cress leaves
109 KB
Riley County, Kansas