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mesa pepperwort

heart-pod hoary-cress, heart-pod pepperweed, hoary cress, hoary pepperwort, whitetop

Habit Annuals, biennials, or perennials; (base woody); glabrous or pubescent. Perennials; (rhizomatous); hirsute or glabrate.
Stems

simple from base, erect, branched distally, (3.5–)4.5–16(–18) dm.

often simple from base, erect or decumbent basally, branched (several) distally, (0.8–)2–6.5(–9) dm.

Basal leaves

(soon deciduous), not rosulate;

petiole (1–)2–5.5(–7.5) cm;

blade pinnatifid, (2–)3–6.8(–9) cm × 10–30 mm, margins (of lobes) dentate to serrate.

(early withered);

not rosulate;

petiole 1–4 cm;

blade obovate, spatulate, or ovate, (1.5–)3–10(–15) cm × 10–40 mm, margins sinuate to dentate or entire.

Cauline leaves

shortly petiolate or sessile;

blade narrowly lanceolate or oblanceolate to linear, 3–7 cm × (2.5–)4–10mm (smaller distally), base attenuate to cuneate, not auriculate, margins usually entire, rarely dentate.

sessile;

blade ovate, elliptic, oblong, or lanceolate, oblanceolate, or obovate, (1–)3–9(–15) cm × (5–)10–20(–50) mm, base sagittate-amplexicaul or auriculate, margins dentate or entire, (surfaces pubescent or glabrous).

Racemes

elongated in fruit;

rachis puberulent, trichomes straight or curved.

(corymbose panicles), slightly or considerably elongated in fruit;

rachis glabrous or puberulent, trichomes straight or curved, cylindrical.

Flowers

sepals suborbicular to oblong, 0.8–1.5 × 0.7–1.2 mm;

petals white, suborbicular, 2.2–3.5(4) × 1.5–2.5 mm, claw 0.7–1.5 mm;

stamens 6;

filaments 1.5–2.5 mm, (glabrous);

anthers 0.3–0.4 mm.

sepals oblong to ovate, 1.5–2.5 × 0.7–1.2 mm;

petals white, obovate, (2.5–)3–4(–4.5) × (1–)1.3–2(–2.2) mm, claw 1–1.7 mm;

stamens 6;

filaments 2–3 mm, (glabrous);

anthers 0.4–0.5 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

divaricate-ascending to horizontal, usually slightly recurved or somewhat sigmoid, rarely straight, (not winged), (3–)3.5–7.5(–8) × 0.2–0.3 mm, puberulent adaxially.

ascending to horizontal, straight, (terete), 5–10(–15) × 0.2–0.3 mm, glabrous or sparsely puberulent adaxially.

Fruits

broadly ovate, 2–3.5(–4) × 1.8–2.6(–3) mm, apically winged, apical notch 0.1–0.2mm deep;

valves thin, smooth, not veined, glabrous;

style (0.2–)0.3–0.6(–0.7) mm, exserted beyond apical notch.

(indehiscent), cordate to subreniform, (2–)2.5–3.7(–4.3) × (3.2–)3.7–5(–5.6) mm, apically (obtuse to subacute), not winged, apical notch absent;

valves thin, smooth, reticulate-veined, glabrous;

style (0.6–)1–1.8(–2) mm.

Seeds

(dark brown), ovate, 1.4–1.8 × 0.8–1.1 mm.

ovate, 1.5–2.3 × 1–1.3 mm.

2n

= 32, 64.

Lepidium eastwoodiae

Lepidium draba

Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep. Flowering Apr–Aug.
Habitat Pinyon-juniper, sagebrush, or mixed desert shrub communities Mountain slopes, roadsides, fields, agricultural lands, stream sides, disturbed grounds, pastures, waste areas
Elevation 900-2200 m (3000-7200 ft) 0-3300 m (0-10800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; MA; MD; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SD; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; MB; NS; ON; SK; s Europe; sw Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico (Distrito Federal), South America, s Africa, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

C. L. Hitchcock (1936) and R. C. Rollins (1993) reduced Lepidium eastwoodiae to a variety of L. montanum and L. alyssoides, respectively. However, the differences in morphology and flowering periods support its recognition as an independent species.

We have not examined the holotype of Lepidium moabense and follow N. H. Holmgren (2005b) in reducing it to synonymy of L. eastwoodiae.

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

Although Lepidium draba is poorly established and known from old collections in the eastern part of the United States, it has become a noxious weed in several western states.

Lepidium draba and its nearest relatives, L. appelianum and L. chalepense, form a monophyletic clade most closely related to L. campestre (K. Mummenhoff et al. 2001). A. Thellung (1906) and C. L. Hitchcock (1936) correctly placed L. draba in Lepidium, as did Linnaeus. The recognition of the first three species in Cardaria and the maintenance of their nearest relative, L. campestre, in Lepidium do not make any sense on both phylogenetic and taxonomic grounds.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 581. FNA vol. 7, p. 581.
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. didymum, L. draba, 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. 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 L. alyssoides var. eastwoodiae, L. moabense, L. montanum var. eastwoodiae Cardaria draba, Cochlearia draba, Nasturtium draba
Name authority Wooton: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 25: 258. (1898) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 645. (1753)
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