Brassicaceae

Lepidium L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 643 (1753)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Cosmopolitan.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial, small to medium-sized herbs or subshrubs with a taproot, often finely pubescent with unicellular simple hairs
Morphology Stem
Stems erect or ascending, sometimes procumbent, freely branched
Morphology Leaves
Leaves membranous or coriaceous, simple to pinnatipartite
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes terminal or axillary, ebracteate, densely corymbose, with numerous small to minute flowers, in fruit narrowly cylindrical, contracted or elongate but usually rather dense
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals elliptic, not saccate, greenish
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals usually whitish, somewhat longer or shorter than the sepals, often even lacking
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 6, 4 or 2, median and/or lateral ones reduced; filaments usually linear to subulate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries
Nectarial glands usually 6 or 4, adjacent to the bases of the lateral filaments
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary flat, dorsiventrally compressed, elliptic in outline; ovules 2
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a silicula, dehiscent, strongly compressed, narrowly septate, usually orbicular to elliptic in outline, entire or winged (especially distally), with the short style in an apical notch
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds single in each locule, very finely reticulate, mucilaginous, usually reddish brown, rather flat, elliptic to obovate in outline, sometimes narrowly and unilaterally winged.
[FTEA]

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit
Annual, biennial, or perennial herbs, rarely suffutescent
Morphology Leaves
lower leaves petiolate, pinnately incised to tripinnate, rarely entire
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in dense, non-bracteate racemes that often elongate in fruit; sepals not saccate; petals small, white (rarely pink or yellow), rarely absent; stamens 6, 4, or 2, the filaments neither appendaged nor toothed; ovary 2-ovuled; style short or absent, the stigma capitate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Siliculas orbicular, ovate, elliptic or oblong, strongly compressed, dehiscent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds solitary or rarely 2 per locule, pendulous, mucilaginous.
Distribution
A cosmopolitan genus of about 175 species, distributed mainly in temperate regions.
[Cayman]

Cruciferae, A. W. Exell. Flora Zambesiaca 1:1. 1960

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 2-ovulate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a silicule with keeled or winged valves.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds usually 1 in each loculus, pendent from the apex.
Morphology General Habit
Annual, biennial or perennial herbs, occasionally somewhat shrubby, glabrous or with simple hairs, usually with a slender tap-root.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves entire to pinnate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small, whitish, in terminal and axillary, ebracteate racemes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals not saccate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 4, sometimes vestigial or O. Stamens 2, 4 or 6.
[FZ]

Cruciferae, A. W. Exell. Flora Zambesiaca 1:1. 1960

Morphology General Habit
Annual, biennial or perennial herbs usually ± pilose with simple hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves pinnatisect or entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small, whitish, in terminal racemes which appear to be leaf-opposed owing to sympodial growth.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals ± spreading, not saccate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 4 or O. Stamens 6, 5, 4 or 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary with 2 ovules.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit 2-lobed, dividing vertically into 1-seeded halves.
[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit
Annual to perennial low herbs with a taproot, glabrous or with fine, often papillose, simple hairs
Morphology Stem
Stems often several, prostrate, ascending or erect, with numerous branches often overtopping the racemes
Morphology Leaves
Leaves thin, entire to bipinnate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes numerous, ebracteate, often supra-axillary and leaf-opposed because of sympodial shoot growth, small and densely corymbose with numerous minute flowers; in fruit narrowly cylindrical and rather dense
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals spreading, rather flat, elliptic, greenish with white or reddish margins
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals whitish, somewhat longer or shorter than the petals, or lacking
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 6, 4 or 2, with linear or basally widened filaments
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries
Nectarial glands tubercle-shaped to elongate, sometimes lacking
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary flat, dorsiventrally compressed, with 2 ovules and short to rudimentary style
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a silicula, compressed, ± transversely elliptic in outline, didymous, i.e. divided along the very narrow septum into 2 rounded halves, which are usually spread as 1-seeded nutlets (outside E. Africa sometimes with completely indehiscent siliculae)
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds flattened, orange to reddish brown, elliptic in outline.
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

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

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. 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 Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. 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

  • Neotropikey

    • Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0