Brassicaceae
Lepidium

Lepidium sativum L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 644 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Europe to Central Asia and Himalaya, Arabian Peninsula. It is an annual and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Cruciferae, Bengt Jonsell (University of Stockholm). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1982

Morphology General Habit
Annual herb with fine taproot.
Morphology Stem
Stem up to 70 cm. high, erect, simple to much branched, glabrous or with very scattered minute hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves petioled, very sparsely pubescent, up to 10 cm. long, pinnati- or bipinnatipartite, with 2–4 pairs of lateral lobes; lobes linear, lanceolate or oblanceolate (in lower leaves even obovate), up to 3 cm. long; uppermost leaves sometimes simple, serrate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes terminal, with comparatively conspicuous whitish flowers, in fruit lax, up to 25 cm. long; pedicels in fruit 3–6 mm. long, ascending to almost erect, straight, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals green with membranous margins, elliptic, 1–1.5 mm. long, with scattered fine hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals white or violet, spathulate to slightly clawed, with rounded apex, 1.7–3 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens with a single small nectarial gland between each of them.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary elliptic, emarginate, with projecting style.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Siliculae elliptic in outline, 4.5–6.5 mm. long, 3–4 mm. broad, with prominent apical wings, deeply emarginate; style distinct, with stigma completely within or just level with the top of the sinus.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed wingless, reddish brown, 2–3 mm. long, ± 1.5 mm. broad.
Figures
Fig. 5/1.
Habitat
Weed of arable fields; 1800–2000 m.
Distribution
K3 K4 introduced, probably native in Ethiopia and neighbouring countries to the west and north as well as in the Near East, but spread by cultivation or inadvertently to many parts of the world
[FTEA]

Cruciferae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954

Vernacular
The Common Cress.
Ecology
Commonly cultivated in regions away from the coast; naturalized in some places.
[FWTA]

Common Names

English
Cress

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images