Lepidium alyssoides
Lepidium flavum
mesa pepperwort
yellow pepper grass, yellow pepperweed
few to several from base, erect to ascending, branched throughout, (0.7–)1–4.8(–6.1) dm.
few to several from base, prostrate or decumbent, branched, (0.2–)0.4–3(–4.6) dm.
often not rosulate;
petiole 1–6 cm;
blade pinnately lobed, (1–)1.5–8(–11) cm × (5–)10–35 mm, margins (of lobes) entire or denticulate.
rosulate;
petiole (0.3–)0.6–2.5(–3.2) cm;
blade spatulate to oblanceolate or linear, pinnatifid or lobed (lobes 3–9 pairs, ovate to oblong), (0.7–)1.3–5.2(–6) cm × 3–8 mm, margins (of lobes) entire.
sessile;
blade linear, (0.8–)1.3–7(–9.5) cm × (0.7–)1–2(–3) mm, base attenuate, not auriculate, margins entire.
petioles 0.1–0.5 cm;
blade obovate to spatulate or oblanceolate, (0.6–)1–1.8(–2.3) cm × 2–8(–14) mm, base attenuate-cuneate, not auriculate, margins dentate-sinuate to crenate orentire.
elongated in fruit;
rachis puberulent or glabrous.
(corymbose to subcapitate), slightly elongated in fruit;
rachis glabrous.
sepals ovate to oblong, 1–2 × 0.8–1 mm;
petals white, suborbicular, 2–3 × 1–2 mm, claw 0.5–1.5 mm;
stamens 6;
filaments 1.5–2 mm, (glabrous);
anthers 0.2–0.4 mm.
sepals obovate-oblong, 1–2 × 0.6–1 mm;
petals yellow (rarely creamy white at early anthesis), spatulate, (1.8–)2–2.8(–3) × 0.6–1 mm, claw 0.5–1 mm;
stamens 6;
filaments (median pairs) 1.2–2 mm, (glabrous);
anthers 0.4–0.5 mm.
divaricate to horizontal, straight or recurved to somewhat sigmoid, (terete), 3.5–8(–11) × 0.2 mm, glabrous or puberulent adaxially.
divaricate to horizontal, straight or slightly sigmoid, (terete), (2.7–)3–4.4(–5) × 0.2–0.3 mm, glabrous.
broadly ovate, 2–3.7(–4.3) × (1.5–)1.8–2.9(–3.4) mm, apically winged, apical notch 0.1–0.3(–0.4) mm deep;
valves thin, smooth, not veined, glabrous;
style 0.2–0.6 mm, exserted beyond apical notch.
usually narrowly to broadly ovate, rarely suborbicular, (2.2–)2.5–3.8(–4.2) × (1.6–)2.2 3.2(–3.5) mm, apically divergently winged, apical notch 0.2–0.6 mm deep;
valves thin, smooth, moderately reticulate-veined, usually glabrous, rarely pubescent;
style 0.7–1.6 mm, exserted beyond apical notch.
ovate, 1.5–1.8(–2) × 0.9–1.2(–1.5) mm.
ovate, 1–1.6 × 0.6–0.9 mm.
= 32.
= 32.
Lepidium alyssoides
Lepidium flavum
Of the five varieties of Lepidium alyssoides recognized by R. C. Rollins (1993), one (var. mexicanum Rollins) is a short-tufted form of the species restricted to Mexico that does not seem to merit recognition, another (var. junceum) is a glabrescent form of the type variety, a third (var. eastwoodiae) is treated below as a distinct species, and the fourth (var. angustifolium) is included here within L. alyssoides.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
The slightly smaller-fruited form of Lepidium flavum, recognized by C. L. Hitchcock (1936) and R. C. Rollins (1993) as var. felipense, does not merit recognition.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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