Lepidium alyssoides
Lepidium oxycarpum
mesa pepperwort
fork pepper-grass, fork pepperweed, fork pepperwort, sharp pod pepper grass, sharp-fruit pepperweed, sharpfruit pepperwort
few to several from base, erect to ascending, branched throughout, (0.7–)1–4.8(–6.1) dm.
several from base, usually erect to ascending, rarely decumbent, branched, 0.4–1.5(–2) 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.
(soon withered);
not rosulate;
petiole 0.5–1.5(–2) cm;
blade margins entire or pinnatifid (lobes 2–5 pairs, linear to filiform), 1.5–5 cm × 0.5–2 mm.
sessile;
blade linear, (0.8–)1.3–7(–9.5) cm × (0.7–)1–2(–3) mm, base attenuate, not auriculate, margins entire.
petiolate;
blade linear, 0.1–0.3 cm × 0.5–2 mm, base attenuate, not auriculate, margins entire.
elongated in fruit;
rachis puberulent or glabrous.
considerably elongated, (lax) in fruit;
rachis glabrous or puberulent, trichomes straight, cylindrical.
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 oblong, 0.6–0.8 × 0.4–0.5 mm;
petals absent;
stamens 4, median;
filaments 0.6–0.7;
anthers ca. 0.1 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 or descending, usually recurved, rarely straight, (terete or slightly flattened), 2–4(–6) × 0.2–0.3 mm, glabrous or puberulent adaxially.
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.
ovate, 2.4–3.6 × 1.8–2.5 mm, apically winged, apical notch (V-shaped), 0.3–0.8 mm deep;
valves thin, smooth, strongly reticulate-veined, glabrous;
style obsolete or to 0.1 mm, included in apical notch.
ovate, 1.5–1.8(–2) × 0.9–1.2(–1.5) mm.
oblong, 1.4–1.8 × 0.8–0.9 mm.
= 32.
Lepidium alyssoides
Lepidium oxycarpum
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.)
Lepidium oxycarpum apparently did not persist in British Columbia following its introduction there over 110 years ago (G. A. Mulligan 2002b). That record is based on Macoun s.n. (GH, MO, NY, US), which was collected on 31 May 1893 from the vicinity of Victoria, Vancouver Island.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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