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lesser swinecress, lesser wartcress

dittander, broad-leaved peppergrass, broad-leaved pepperwort

Habit Low, spreading, glabrous to scurfy-pubescent annual, the stems freely-branched, decumbent, 2-5 dm. long. Glabrous perennial from well-developed rhizomes, the stems up to 2 m. tall.
Leaves

Leaves alternate, numerous, ovate-oblong, 1.5-3 cm. long, pinnatifid, the segments narrow, entire to pinnatifid.

Leaves alternate, entire to dentate, the basal with blades up to 30 cm. long and 6-8 cm. broad, with petioles sometimes as long;

cauline leaves reduced, becoming sub-sessile and entire.

Flowers

Inflorescence of many-flowered, crowded, axillary, bractless racemes 1-4 cm. long; pedicles slender, 1.5-2.5 mm. long;

sepals 4, spreading, 0.5 mm. long, deciduous;

petals 4, white, linear, minute;

stamens 2.

Inflorescence of numerous, bractless, much-compounded racemes; pedicles terete, much longer than the fruits;

sepals 4, early-deciduous;

petals 4, white, 1.5 mm. long;

stamens 6;

style almost lacking.

Fruit(s)

Silicles strongly wrinkled, 2 mm. broad and 1.5 mm. long, cordate and notched, inflated and slightly obcompressed.

Silicles ovate-rotund, 2 mm. long, strongly obcompressed, with a few soft hairs, not at all notched, tipped by the stigma.

Lepidium didymum

Lepidium latifolium

Flowering time May-July June-September
Habitat Roadsides, gardens and wasteland. Disturbed, moist areas, irrigated land, stream banks, and drier upland areas.
Distribution
Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, Arizona, and Texas eastward and northward to the Atlantic Coast.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Great Plains and eastern North America.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Origin Introduced from South America (or possibly Eurasia) Introduced from Eurasia
Conservation status Not of concern Not of concern
Sibling taxa
L. appelianum, L. campestre, L. chalepense, L. densiflorum, L. dictyotum, L. draba, L. heterophyllum, L. latifolium, L. nitidum, L. oblongum, L. oxycarpum, L. perfoliatum, L. ramosissimum, L. sativum, L. strictum, L. virginicum
L. appelianum, L. campestre, L. chalepense, L. densiflorum, L. dictyotum, L. didymum, L. draba, L. heterophyllum, L. nitidum, L. oblongum, L. oxycarpum, L. perfoliatum, L. ramosissimum, L. sativum, L. strictum, L. virginicum
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