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lesser pepper-grass, lesser swine-cress, lesser wart-cress

sordid pepperweed

Habit Annuals; (fetid); glabrous or pilose. Annuals; puberulent, (trichomes clavate).
Stems

few to several from base, erect to ascending or decumbent, branched distally, 1–4.5(–7) dm.

simple or several from base, erect to decumbent, branched (several) distally, 0.5–2.4(–3.2) dm.

Basal leaves

(soon withered);

not rosulate;

petiole 0.5–4(–6) cm;

blade 1- or 2-pinnatisect, 1–6(–8) cm, margins (of lobes) entire or dentate (sometimes deeply lobed).

(soon withered);

not rosulate;

petiole 0.8–2.5 cm;

blade 1- or 2-pinnatifid, 3–5.6 cm, margins (of lobes) entire or dentate.

Cauline leaves

shortly petiolate to subsessile;

blade similar to basal, smaller and less divided distally, lobes lanceolate to oblong or elliptic, 1.5–3.5(–4.5) cm ×5–12 mm, base not auriculate, margins (of lobes) entire, serrate, or incised.

petiolate;

blade pinnatifid (similar to basal), 0.7–2 cm × 2–10 mm, base attenuate to cuneate, not auriculate, margins dentate to incised or pinnately lobed.

Racemes

elongated in fruit;

rachis glabrous or pubescent, trichomes straight, cylindrical.

(paniculate), elongated, (often dense) in fruit;

rachis puberulent, trichomes straight or curved, clavate.

Flowers

sepals (tardily deciduous), ovate, 0.5–0.7(–0.9) mm;

petals white, elliptic to linear, 0.4–0.5 × ca. 0.1 mm, claw absent;

stamens 2, median;

filaments 0.3–0.6 mm;

anthers 0.1–0.2 mm.

sepals (tardily deciduous), oblong, 0.5–0.7 × 0.3–0.4 mm;

petals (absent or rudimentary), white, linear, 0.2–0.4 × 0.05 mm, claw absent;

stamens 2, median;

filaments 0.5–0.8 mm;

anthers 0.1–0.15 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

divaricate to horizontal, straight slightly recurved, (terete), 1.4–2.5(–4) × 0.15–2 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent adaxially.

ascending to divaricate, straight or slightly recurved, (terete), (1.4–)1.6–2.3(–2.9) × 0.1–0.15 mm, puberulent adaxially.

Fruits

schizocarpic, didymous, 1.3–1.7 × 2–2.5 mm, apically not winged, apical notch 0.2–0.4 mm deep;

valves thick, rugose, strongly veined, glabrous;

style absent or obsolete, included in apical notch.

ovate-elliptic, 1.7–2.1 × 1.2–1.6 mm, apically winged, apical notch 0.1–0.2 mm deep;

valves thin, smooth, not or weakly veined, glabrous;

style 0.1–0.15 mm, included in or equaling apical notch.

Seeds

ovate, 1–1.2 × 0.7–0.8 mm.

oblong, 0.8–1 × 0.5–0.6 mm.

2n

= 32.

Lepidium didymum

Lepidium sordidum

Phenology Flowering Mar–Jul. Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat Roadsides, waste areas, lawns, pastures, fields, gardens, disturbed areas Alluvial fans, sandy flats, rocky hillsides, grassy valleys, canyons
Elevation 0-1000 m (0-3300 ft) 1500-1900 m (4900-6200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CT; FL; GA; LA; MA; MD; ME; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WI; WV; BC; NB; NF; NS; QC; South America [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico (Sinaloa), Central America (Honduras), Europe, Asia, s Africa, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango, Federal District, Hidalgo, Sinaloa, Zacatecas)
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 580. FNA vol. 7, p. 592.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Lepidieae > Lepidium Brassicaceae > tribe Lepidieae > Lepidium
Sibling taxa
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. 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. papilliferum, L. paysonii, L. perfoliatum, L. pinnatifidum, L. ramosissimum, L. ruderale, L. sativum, L. strictum, L. thurberi, L. tiehmii, L. virginicum
Synonyms Carara didyma, Coronopus didymus, Senebiera didyma, Senebiera incisa, Senebiera pinnatifida L. granulare
Name authority Linnaeus: Syst. Nat. ed. 12, 2: 433. (1767): Mant Pl. 1: 92. (1767) A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 10. (1852)
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