Virginia pepperweed (Brassicaceae(mustard family) in Maharastra, India)

Virginia pepperweed

Lepidium virginicum

Summary ³

Lepidium virginicum, also known as Virginia pepperweed or peppergrass, is an annual or biennial plant in the Brassicaceae or mustard family. It is native to much of North America, including most of the United States and Mexico and southern regions of Canada, as well as most of Central America. It can be found elsewhere as an introduced species.

Description ⁴

This native plant is a winter annual or biennial. It is initially a low-growing rosette with pinnatifid leaves up to 3" long. Later, the stems bolt upward, branching occasionally to frequently, and the plant becomes about ¾-1½' tall. When fully developed, it frequently has a bushy appearance, particularly in the absence of much competition. The cauline leaves are up to 3½" long and ¾" across, and usually oblanceolate or obovate. They are sessile at the base (appearing to have winged petioles), and the larger leaves have a few coarse teeth toward their tips. The stems are green or slightly reddish pink, and are covered with fine white hairs that are very short. The upper stems terminate in cylindrical racemes about 2-4" long that have small white flowers. Each flower has 4 white petals and 4 green sepals, and is less than 1/8" across. A typical raceme will have a few flowers in bloom at the top, while below they have been replaced by seedpods about 1/8" across at varying stages of maturity. Each flattened seedpod has a round oval shape with a small notch at the tip. Various plants can be in bloom anytime from late spring to fall, peaking during early summer. The flowers have no noticeable scent. The individual seedpods can be carried a short distance by the wind, while on other occasions an entire raceme of mature seedpods will become detached from the mother plant and tumble away in the wind. The root system consists of a slender, branching taproot.

Habitat ⁵

Fields, roadsides, waste places, grassy areas; near sea level to 1000 m.

Flower/fruit ⁶

Fl. Per.: April June.

ID ⁷

Siliqua suborbicular, shorter than pedicel; stamens 2;

seeds winged

Sources and Credits

(c) Frank Mayfield, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/33397993@N05/3374030360
(c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/4524811984/
Adapted by Chandan Pandey from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepidium_virginicum
(c) John Hilty, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/29446963
(c) Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/19799412
(c) Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/4964964
(c) Chandan Pandey, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

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