Least Pepperwort - Lepidium virginicum
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Species Description
A scattered and infrequent casual; mainly as a birdseed alien. Habitat includes: wasteland, railway lines, tips, arable fields etc. Growing habit: Annual / Biennial. Height: Up to 50 cm.
Stace 4:
Lepidium virginicum L. - Least Pepperwort.
Erect annual to biennial to 50cm; stem-leaves simple, not clasping stem, lower ones more or less lobed, middle and upper ones dentate to more or less entire; fruit 2.3-4mm, narrowly winged apically with shallow notch and shorter style; (2n=32). Neophyte-casual; rather infrequent casual probably mainly from wool and birdseed, also floral displays; scattered and sporadic in British Isles; North America.
Key:
- Inflorescence a terminal raceme or panicle; at least upper leaves simple but sometimes deeply divided
- Fruit readily dehiscent; inflorescence a raceme or a racemose to pyramidal panicle
- Lower and upper stem-leaves often different but with more or less gradual transition, none more or less encircling stem; petals white, reddish or 0
- Fruit ≤4.2mm, usually shorter than pedicel; style free from wings of fruit or wings 0
- Fruit usually winged at least apically, notched at apex, with style not or scarcely projecting beyond notch; normally annual or biennial, sometimes perennial
- Middle and upper stem-leaves entire to dentate
- Fruit 2.5-4mm wide; apical notch >0.2mm deep, about 1/10 of fruit length
- Fruits orbicular, widest near middle; rachides usually with curved, cylindrical hairs, rarely glabrous; petals 1-2(2.5)mm