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mesa pepperwort

Idaho pepperweed

Habit Perennials or subshrubs; (woody base often aboveground); glabrous or minutely puberulent. Annuals or biennials; puberulent, (trichomes clavate).
Stems

few to several from base, erect to ascending, branched throughout, (0.7–)1–4.8(–6.1) dm.

several from base, ascending, branched (several) distally, (0.3–)0.5–2.3(–4) dm.

Basal leaves

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 deciduous), not rosulate;

blade often bipinnately divided.

Cauline leaves

sessile;

blade linear, (0.8–)1.3–7(–9.5) cm × (0.7–)1–2(–3) mm, base attenuate, not auriculate, margins entire.

attenuate to petiolelike base, to 1 cm;

blade pinnatifid to pinnatisect, obovate to oblanceolate in outline (lobes oblong to linear), 0.5–4 cm × 3–15 mm (smaller distally), base not auriculate, margins (of lobes) entire or dentate.

Racemes

elongated in fruit;

rachis puberulent or glabrous.

slightly elongated, (dense) in fruit;

rachis puberulent, trichomes straight or curved, clavate.

Flowers

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 ovate to broadly oblong, 1.5–2.2 × 0.8–1.1 mm;

petals white, orbicular to spatulate, 2.5–3.7(–4) × 1.5–2.5 mm, claw 0.8–1.5 mm;

stamens 6;

filaments 1.5–2 mm, (trichomes clavate);

anthers 0.4–0.6 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

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 recurved, (not winged), (2.5–)3–6(–7.5) × 0.2–0.3 mm, puberulent adaxially or throughout.

Fruits

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.

orbicular to broadly ovate, 2.2–3.6 × 2–3.4 mm, apically winged, apical notch 0.1–0.3 mm deep;

valves thin, smooth, often not veined, glabrous;

style 0.2–0.8 mm, exserted beyond apical notch.

Seeds

ovate, 1.5–1.8(–2) × 0.9–1.2(–1.5) mm.

ovate, 1.2–1.8 × 0.9–1.1 mm.

2n

= 32.

Lepidium alyssoides

Lepidium papilliferum

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Pinyon-juniper or sagebrush communities, prairies, grasslands, sandstone outcrops, gypsum flats, sand dunes, dry flats and river bottoms, gravelly roadsides Sagebrush plains, desert flats, edge of playa
Elevation 1200-2800 m (3900-9200 ft) 600-1700 m (2000-5600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; NV; TX; UT; WY; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Of conservation concern.

Lepidium papilliferum is distributed in Ada, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Owyhee, and Payette counties.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 575. FNA vol. 7, p. 590.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Lepidieae > Lepidium Brassicaceae > tribe Lepidieae > Lepidium
Sibling taxa
L. acutidens, L. appelianum, L. austrinum, L. barnebyanum, L. campestre, L. chalepense, L. coronopus, L. crenatum, L. davisii, L. densiflorum, L. dictyotum, L. didymum, L. draba, L. eastwoodiae, L. flavum, L. fremontii, L. heterophyllum, L. huberi, L. integrifolium, L. jaredii, L. lasiocarpum, L. latifolium, L. latipes, L. montanum, L. nanum, L. nitidum, L. oblongum, L. ostleri, L. oxycarpum, L. papilliferum, L. paysonii, L. perfoliatum, L. pinnatifidum, L. ramosissimum, L. ruderale, L. sativum, L. sordidum, L. strictum, L. thurberi, L. tiehmii, L. virginicum
L. acutidens, L. alyssoides, L. appelianum, L. austrinum, L. barnebyanum, L. campestre, L. chalepense, L. coronopus, L. crenatum, L. davisii, L. densiflorum, L. dictyotum, L. didymum, L. draba, L. eastwoodiae, L. flavum, L. fremontii, L. heterophyllum, L. huberi, L. integrifolium, L. jaredii, L. lasiocarpum, L. latifolium, L. latipes, L. montanum, L. nanum, L. nitidum, L. oblongum, L. ostleri, L. oxycarpum, L. paysonii, L. perfoliatum, L. pinnatifidum, L. ramosissimum, L. ruderale, L. sativum, L. sordidum, L. strictum, L. thurberi, L. tiehmii, L. virginicum
Synonyms L. alyssoides var. angustifolium, L. alyssoides var. junceum, L. alyssoides var. minus, L. alyssoides var. polycarpum, L. alyssoides var. streptocarpum, L. montanum subsp. alyssoides, L. montanum var. alyssoides, L. montanum subsp. angustifolium, L. montanum var. angustifolium, L. tortum L. montanum var. papilliferum, L. montanum subsp. papilliferum
Name authority A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 10. (1849) (L. F. Henderson) A. Nelson & J. F. Macbride: Bot. Gaz. 56: 474. (1913)
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