Page author: David Giblin
Lepidium campestre
field cress, field peppergrass, pepperwort
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Roadsides, fields, meadows, river and stream banks, wastelots, and other distrubed open, often dry soils.

Flowers: May-July

Origin: Introduced from Eurasia

Growth Duration: Annual, Biennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bumblebees, bees, flies, beetles, wasps

Description:
General:

Somewhat grayish annual, the stems simple to freely-branched, 2-5 dm. tall, densely short-villous.

Leaves:

Basal leaves in a rosette, petiolate, oblanceolate, 4-12 cm. long and up to 12 mm. broad, entire to lyrate; cauline leaves alternate, numerous, broader than the basal, oblong-lanceolate, denticulate, sessile and strongly auriculate-clasping.

Flowers:

Inflorescence of bractless, simple or compound racemes; pedicles spreading, slightly flattened, about equaling the fruits; sepals 4, 1.5-2 mm. long, often pinkish, early-deciduous; petals 4, white, 2-2.5 mm. long; stamens 6; style 0.2-0.6 mm. long.

Fruits:

Silicles oblong-ovate, strongly obcompressed, 5-6 mm. long and up to 4 mm. broad, covered with small blisters, the margins and tip winged and upturned, the apex slightly notched.

Accepted Name:
Lepidium campestre (L.) W.T. Aiton
Publication: Hortus Kew. 4: 88. 1812.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Neolepia campestre (L.) W.A. Weber
Thlaspi campestre L.
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Lepidium campestre in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.

WA Flora Checklist: Lepidium campestre checklist entry.

OregonFlora: Lepidium campestre information.

E-Flora BC: Lepidium campestre atlas page.

CalPhotos: Lepidium campestre photos.

USDA Plants: Lepidium campestre information.

42 photographs:
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