Heart-podded Hoarycress, Hoary Cress, Hoary Pepperwort, White Top
Lepidium draba
Synonyms: Cardaria draba, Cardaria draba ssp. draba, Cardaria draba var. draba, Lepidium draba ssp. draba)
Hoary cress is a fairly common perennial of the west. Its erect or spreading stems reach from 20-50 cm tall from strongly spreading rhizomes. The herbage is minutely hairy. The ovate-oblong to oblong-oblanceolate leaves are toothed, and range from 4-10 cm in length. The lower leaves are petiolate, while the upper ones are sessile and clasping.
The inflorescence is more or less corymbose, with numerous racemes. The result is that the inflorescence appears flat-topped. The 4 sepals are about 2 mm long, while the 4 white petals are 3-4 mm long. The seed capsules are inflated silicles, which are deltoid-ovoid or cordate-ovoid in shape.
Hoary cress is found in old fields, along roadsides, and in other open, disturbed places.
A European weed, hoary cress is found throughout much of the lowlands of the western United States.
In the Columbia River Gorge, it is found from east of Troutdale, OR to as far east as The Dalles, OR, generally between 100'-2100'.