Lepidium alyssoides
Lepidium sativum
mesa pepperwort
garden cress, garden cress pepperwort, garden pepper-grass, garden pepperweed, garden pepperwort, gardencress pepperweed, pepper cress
few to several from base, erect to ascending, branched throughout, (0.7–)1–4.8(–6.1) dm.
simple from base, erect, branched distally, (1–)2–8(–10) 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.
(withered by anthesis);
not rosulate;
petiole 1–4 cm;
blade 1- or 2-pinnatifid or pinnatisect (lobes ovate to oblong), 2–8(–10) cm, margins (of lobes) entire or dentate.
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 similar to basal, usually less divided, rarely undivided, (distal) often linear, bases not auriculate, margins entire.
elongated in fruit;
rachis puberulent or glabrous.
considerably 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 oblong-obovate, 1–1.8 × 0.5–0.8 mm;
petals white or lavender, spatulate to obovate, 2–3.5(–4) × 0.7–1.4 mm, claw 1–1.4 mm;
stamens 6;
filaments (median pairs) 1.5–2 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.
suberect to ascending, appressed to rachis, straight, (terete or slightly flattened), 1.5–4(–6) × 0.4–0.6 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.
broadly ovate or ovate-oblong, (4–)5–6.4(–7) × 3–4.5(–5.6) mm, apically broadly winged, apical notch 0.2 0.8 mm deep;
valves thin, smooth, not veined, glabrous;
style 0.1–0.5(–0.8) mm, usually included in, rarely subequaling, apical notch.
ovate, 1.5–1.8(–2) × 0.9–1.2(–1.5) mm.
(reddish brown), ovate-oblong, 2–2.7(–3) × 1–1.5 mm, (3-lobed).
= 32.
= 16, 32.
Lepidium alyssoides
Lepidium sativum
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 sativum is cultivated as a salad green and is sporadically naturalized, though never as an aggressive weed. It is seldom collected; the above range may be incomplete.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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