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globe-pod hoary-cress, hairy whitetop, white-top

alkali pepperweed

Habit Perennials; (rhizomatous); often densely hirsute. Perennials or subshrubs; (woody base aboveground); puberulent.
Stems

simple or several from base, erect or ascending, branched distally, (1–)1.5–3.5(–5) dm.

simple from base, erect, branched distally, (2–)3–8(–11) dm.

Basal leaves

(often withered by anthesis);

not rosulate;

petiole 0.5–1.5 cm;

blade obovate to oblanceolate, (1–)2–6(–7) cm × 3–20 mm, margins dentate to sinuate.

rosulate (on sterile shoots);

petiole (1.5–)2.5–8(–10) cm;

blade oblanceolate to spatulate, (2–)3–7(–9) cm × 5–23(–32) mm, margins crenate to serrate-crenate.

Cauline leaves

sessile;

blade oblong or lanceolate, 1–5(–8) cm × (3–)5–15(–30) mm, base sagittate, margins dentate or subentire, (surfaces pubescent).

shortly petiolate or sessile;

blade oblong to oblanceolate, 1–3.5 cm × 4–15 mm, base cuneate, not auriculate, margins entire.

Racemes

(usually corymbose, rarely paniculate), rarely elongated in fruit;

rachis pubescent, trichomes often curved.

(subcorymbose panicles), slightly elongated in fruit;

rachis puberulent, trichomes straight.

Flowers

sepals oblong, 1.4–2 × 0.7–1 mm;

petals white, broadly obovate, (2.2–)2.8–4 × 1–3 mm, claw 1–1.4 mm;

stamens 6;

filaments 2–2.5 mm, (glabrous);

anthers 0.4–0.5 mm.

sepals oblong to ovate, (1–)1.3–1.8(–2) × 0.9–1.2 mm;

petals white, suborbicular to broadly obovate, (1.8–)2–3 × 1.3–2 mm, claw 0.5–1 mm;

stamens 6;

filaments 1.4–1.6 mm, (glabrous);

anthers 0.5–0.7 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

divaricate to ascending, straight or slightly curved, (terete), 3–9(–12) × 0.2–0.3 mm, pubescent.

divaricate-ascending to horizontal, straight, (terete), 3–6(–8) × 0.2–0.25 mm, puberulent adaxially.

Fruits

(indehiscent), globose or, rarely, subglobose, (2–)3–4.4(–5) mm diam., (inflated), apically not winged, apical notch absent;

valves thin, smooth, not veined, densely puberulent;

style 0.5–1.5 mm.

broadly ovate, (2.5–)3–3.5(–4) × (2–)2.3–2.8 mm, apically winged, apical notch 0.1–0.2mm deep;

valves thin, smooth, not veined, glabrous;

style 0.2–0.6 mm, exserted beyond apical notch.

Seeds

(brown or dark brown), ovoid, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 mm.

ovate, 1.5–2 × 1–1.3 mm.

2n

= 16.

Lepidium appelianum

Lepidium crenatum

Phenology Flowering May–Sep. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Roadsides, sagebrush communities, alkaline meadows, waste grounds, ditch and stream sides, fields, pastures Pinyon-juniper and brush communities, clay bluff of sandstone mesa, arroyo banks
Elevation 400-2400 m (1300-7900 ft) 1800-2000 m (5900-6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; MI; MO; MT; ND; NE; NM; NV; OR; PA; UT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; SK; c Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in South America, other parts of Asia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; NM
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Lepidium appelianum has become a noxious weed in most of its range in North America.

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

Of conservation concern.

Lepidium crenatum is known from Delta, Moffatt, Montezuma, and Montrose counties in Colorado. It was reported from Utah by C. L. Hitchcock (1936) and R. C. Rollins (1993), but we have not seen any material to confirm its occurrence there.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 576. FNA vol. 7, p. 579.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Lepidieae > Lepidium Brassicaceae > tribe Lepidieae > Lepidium
Sibling taxa
L. acutidens, L. alyssoides, 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. 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
Synonyms Hymenophysa pubescens, Cardaria pubescens, Cardaria pubescens var. elongata Thelypodium crenatum, L. montanum subsp. spatulatum, L. montanum var. spatulatum, L. scopulorum var. spatulatum, L. vaseyanum
Name authority Al-Shehbaz: Novon 12: 7. (2002) (Greene) Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 33: 141. (1906)
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