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lesser swinecress, lesser wartcress

purple-anther field pepperweed, Smith's pepperwort

Habit Plants annual, fetid, glabrous or pilose. Plants perennial, hirsute; with branched caudices.
Stems

often decumbent, 1–4.5(7) dm.

1–5 dm.

Basal leaves

not rosulate, 1–6(8) cm, 1- or 2-pinnatisect;

lobes entire or dentate, sometimes deeply lobed;

petioles 0.5–4(6) cm.

rosulate, oblanceolate or oblong-elliptic, 1–4.5 cm × 4–14 mm;

margins dentate or entire;

petioles 1–6.2 cm.

Cauline leaves

similar to basal, 1.5–3.5(4.5) × 0.5–1.2 cm, bases not auriculate, petiolate to subsessile.

oblong to deltoid-lanceolate, 1–3.5 cm × 3–8 mm, bases sagittate or auriculate;

margins dentate to denticulate.

Inflorescences

rachises glabrous or pubescent with straight cylindrical trichomes, fruiting pedicels divaricate to horizontal; terete; straight or slightly recurved, 1.4–2.5(4) mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent adaxially.

elongated;

rachises hirsute with straight, spreading trichomes, fruiting pedicels horizontal; terete; straight or slightly recurved, 2.8–5 mm; hirsute all around.

Flowers

sepals caducous, 0.5–0.7(0.9) mm;

petals elliptic to linear, 0.4–0.5 × ~0.1 mm, white;

stamens 2; median;

styles absent or obsolete, included in apical notch.

sepals caducous, 1.6–2.2 mm;

petals spatulate, 1.8–2.8 × 0.8–1.4 mm, white;

stamens 6;

styles (0.6)1–1.5 mm; well exserted beyond apical notch.

Fruits

indehiscent, didymous, 1.3–1.7 × 2–2.5 mm; apical notch 0.2–0.4 mm deep;

valves thick, rugose, glabrous, strongly veined; wingless.

dehiscent, broadly oblong to ovate, 4–5.5 × 3.5–4 mm, incurved adaxially; apical notch 0.2–0.3 mm deep;

valves often not papillate, not veined, apically broadly winged.

Seeds

ovate, 1–1.2 × 0.7–0.8 mm;

cotyledons incumbent.

ovoid, 1.8–2.2 × 1–1.2 mm; wingless;

cotyledons incumbent.

2n

=32.

=48.

Lepidium didymum

Lepidium heterophyllum

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Disturbed areas, fields, pastures. Flowering May–Oct. 0–300 m. Est, WV. CA, WA; north to British Columbia, eastern Canada and US, southern US; nearly worldwide. Exotic.

Disturbed areas, fields, gardens, hillsides. Flowering Apr–Jun. 0–800 m. CR, Est, Sisk, WV. CA, WA; north to British Columbia, NJ, NY, MA; Europe. Exotic.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 494
Ihsan Al-Shehbaz
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 494
Ihsan Al-Shehbaz
Sibling taxa
L. acutidens, L. appelianum, L. campestre, L. chalepense, L. davisii, L. densiflorum, L. dictyotum, L. draba, L. graminifolium, L. heterophyllum, L. latifolium, L. montanum, L. nitidum, L. oblongum, L. perfoliatum, L. pinnatifidum, L. ruderale, L. sativum, L. strictum, L. virginicum
L. acutidens, L. appelianum, L. campestre, L. chalepense, L. davisii, L. densiflorum, L. dictyotum, L. didymum, L. draba, L. graminifolium, L. latifolium, L. montanum, L. nitidum, L. oblongum, L. perfoliatum, L. pinnatifidum, L. ruderale, L. sativum, L. strictum, L. virginicum
Synonyms Coronopus didymus
Web links