Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
pennycress
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
field pennycress round-leaved pennycress
Quizzes
Venus's-flytrap. Venus's-flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) one of the best known of the meat-eating plants. Carnivorous plant, Venus flytrap, Venus fly trap
Plants: From Cute to Carnivorous
Related Questions
Read Next
Plant seedlings emerging from rich fertile soil
Do Plants Feel Pain?
Flower bingo
Britannica’s Flower Bingo
Anemone coronaria, the poppy anemone, Spanish marigold, or windflower, is a species of flowering plant.
What’s the Difference Between Angiosperms and Gymnosperms?
Sunlight shining on leaves. Photosynthesis
What Does Photosynthesis Produce?
Palm House conservatory of Kew Gardens, London, England. (formal garden, glass house, greenhouse)
How Botanical Gardens Save Plants with Science
Discover
Diverse elementary school children wearing school uniforms running outside of school. Boys girls
Pro and Con: School Uniforms
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Engraving by Cosomo Colombini (d. 1812) after a Leonardo self portrait. Ca. 1500.
10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci
Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland.
Why Is Ireland Two Countries?
Woman tied to a ducking stool, a method of punishment by means of humiliation, beating, or death. (cucking stool)
8 Unusual Punishments Inflicted on Women Throughout History
Thanksgiving Turkey with all the sides
Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?
Close up of books. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”
Title: Senate Square, St. Petersburg, December 14, 1825: repression of the troop mutiny - watercolor by Carl Ivanovitch Kollman, 1825 depicts Decembrist uprising clashing with cavalry, with spectators watching. (new style December 26, 1825) Europe. Saint
8 of the Largest Empires in History
field pennycress
field pennycress Field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense).

pennycress

plant
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/plant/pennycress
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: Thlaspi
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History
round-leaved pennycress
round-leaved pennycressRound-leaved pennycress (Thlaspi rotundifolium).

pennycress, (genus Thlaspi), genus of plants of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), named and sometimes grown for their round seedpods. Most of the species are Eurasian, but a few are native to North and South America, mostly in mountain areas. Pennycress species can be annuals or perennials and produce spikes of small white, lavender, or pink flowers with four petals. The taxonomy of the genus has been contentious, and many former Thlaspi species are now placed in the genus Noccaea.

Field pennycress, or fanweed (T. arvense), has flat and circular notched pods and is a common weed throughout much of North America. Its seeds have a high oil content, and the species has gained interest as a potential feedstock for biofuel production.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.