Herbs perennial, (3-)6-35(-60) cm tall, glabrous throughout. Stems erect or ascending, simple. Basal leaves rosulate; petiole 0.5-2.5(-6) cm; leaf blade oblong, ovate, or orbicular, (0.3-)0.6-2(-3) cm × 3-7(-15) mm, base rounded or truncate, margin entire or repand, apex rounded. Middle cauline leaves sessile, oblong, ovate, or suborbicular, 0.6-1.6(-2.5) cm × 2-8(-12) mm, base auriculate, margin entire or repand, rarely denticulate, apex rounded, obtuse, or subacute. Fruiting pedicels 4-6 mm, slender, divaricate, straight or slightly recurved. Sepals oblong, 2-3 × 1-1.5 mm, not saccate, margin white. Petals white, spatulate or obovate, (4.5-)5-6(-7) × (2-)2.5-3.5(-4) mm, apex rounded. Filaments 3.5-4.5 mm; anthers 0.5-0.7 mm. Ovules 14-24 per ovary. Fruit oblong-obovate, 0.8-1.3 cm × (3.5-)4-5(-5.5) mm, base acute, apex emarginate and apical notch 0.2-0.5 mm deep; apical wings 0.6-1 mm wide; style (0.6-)1-1.7 mm. Seeds brown, oblong-ovate, 1-1.3 × 0.5-0.6(-0.9) mm, obscurely reticulate. Fl. late Apr-Aug, fr. May-Sep.

The immature fruit of Thlaspi cannot be used to determine the degree of development of the apical notch and/or wings. This misled Schulz to describe the fruit of T. flagelliferum as wingless and without an apical notch. However, the holotype, Weigold s.n. (W), and fragmentary isotype at B clearly show the early development of wings and notch.

Presently treated by Ihsan Al-Shehbaz as Noccaea flagellifera (O. E. Schulz) Al-Shehbaz (Adansonia 24(1): 91. 2002).

* Alpine grassy slopes, alpine meadows, roadsides; 500-4200 m. Sichuan.