Lepidium

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants in the cabbage family Brassicaceae}} {{For|the aquatic fern also called 'pepperwort'|Marsilea minuta}} {{Automatic taxobox |image = Lepidium flavum 3.jpg |image_caption = ''Lepidium flavum'' |taxon = Lepidium |authority = L. (1753) |subdivision_ranks = Species |subdivision = 265, see text |subdivision_ref = <ref name = powo>[https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:60437330-2 ''Lepidium'' L.] ''Plants of the World Online''. Retrieved 3 April 2024.</ref> |synonyms = {{collapsible list|bullets=true |title={{small|Synonymy}} |''Carara'' {{small|Medik. (1792)}} |''Cardamon'' {{small|Fourr. (1868)}} |''Cardaria'' {{small|Desv. (1815)}} |''Cardiolepis'' {{small|Wallr. (1822)}} |''Coronopus'' {{small|Zinn (1757)}} |''Cotyliscus'' {{small|Desv. (1815)}} |''Cynocardamum'' {{small|Webb & Berthel. (1836)}} |''Cyphocardamum'' {{small|Hedge (1968)}} |''Dileptium'' {{small|Raf. (1817)}} |''Eudistemon'' {{small|Raf. (1830)}} |''Hymenophysa'' {{small|C.A.Mey. (1831)}} |''Iberis'' {{small|Hill (1756), nom. illeg.}} |''Jundzillia'' {{small|Andrz. ex DC. (1821), not validly publ.}} |''Lasioptera'' {{small|Andrz. ex DC. (1821)}} |''Lepia'' {{small|Desv. (1815)}} |''Lepicochlea'' {{small|Rojas (1918)}} |''Lepidiberis'' {{small|Fourr. (1868)}} |''Lepidion'' {{small|St.-Lag. (1880), orth. var.}} |''Lithodraba'' {{small|Boelcke (1951)}} |''Monoploca'' {{small|Bunge (1845)}} |''Nasturtiastrum'' {{small|Gillet & Magne (1863)}} |''Nasturtioides'' {{small|Medik. (1792)}} |''Nasturtiolum'' {{small|Medik. (1792)}} |''Nasturtium'' {{small|Mill. (1754), nom. rej.}} |''Neolepia'' {{small|W.A.Weber (1989)}} |''Papuzilla'' {{small|Ridl. (1916)}} |''Physolepidion'' {{small|Schrenk ex Fisch. & C.A.Mey. (1841)}} |''Semetum'' {{small|Raf. (1840)}} |''Senckenbergia'' {{small|G.Gaertn., B.Mey. & Scherb. (1800)}} |''Senebiera'' {{small|DC. (1799)}} |''Sennebiera'' {{small|Willd. (1809)}} |''Sprengeria'' {{small|Greene (1906)}} |''Stroganowia'' {{small|Kar. & Kir. (1841)}} |''Stubendorffia'' {{small|Schrenk ex Fisch. (1844)}} |''Uranodactylus'' {{small|Gilli (1959)}} |''Winklera'' {{small|Regel (1886)}} }} |synonyms_ref = <ref name = powo/> }}

'''''Lepidium''''' is a genus of plants in the mustard/cabbage family, Brassicaceae. The genus is widely distributed in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia.<ref name=fna>[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=118034 ''Lepidium''.] Flora of North America.</ref> It includes familiar species such as garden cress, maca, and dittander. General common names include '''peppercress''', '''peppergrass''', '''pepperweed''', and '''pepperwort'''. Some species form tumbleweeds.<ref name="Faulkner1917">{{cite book |title=The Mysteries of the Flowers |url=https://archive.org/details/mysteriesofflowe00fauluoft |author=Faulkner, H. W. |publisher=Frederick A. Stokes company |year=1917 |page=[https://archive.org/details/mysteriesofflowe00fauluoft/page/238 238]}} page 210</ref> The genus name ''Lepidium'' is from Greek meaning 'small scale', which is thought to be derived from a folk medicine usage of the plant to treat leprosy, which cause small scales on the skin. Another meaning is related to the small scale-like fruit.<ref name=Sia>Sia Morhardt and Emil Morhardt {{google books |1XyN-u-Bk40C|California Desert Flowers: An Introduction to Families, Genera, and Species |page=101}}</ref>

==Species== [[File:Cakile maritima habitat.jpg|thumb|right|''Lepidium latifolium'' on the Kattegat]] [[File:Lepidium lasiocarpum var lasiocarpum 7.jpg|thumb|right|''Lepidium lasiocarpum'' var. ''lasiocarpum'']] [[File:Lepidium fremontii 3.jpg|thumb|right|''Lepidium fremontii'']] {{Main|List of Lepidium species|l1=List of ''Lepidium'' species}} Plants of the World Online accepts 265 species in the genus.<ref name = powo/> 10 species are found in California.<ref name=Sia/>

Species include: {{div col|colwidth=25em}} * ''Lepidium africanum'' * ''Lepidium amelum'' * ''Lepidium amissum'' {{small|de Lange & Heenan}} - Waitakere scurvy grass (New Zealand); extinct * ''Lepidium aretioides'' {{small|(Hedge) Al-Shehbaz}} * ''Lepidium armoracia'' {{small|Fisch. & C.A. Mey. 1843}} * ''Lepidium apetalum'' {{small|Willd.}} – ''du xing cai'' (Pinyin, China)<ref>[http://www.tropicos.org/Name/4105246 Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden. 20 Dec 2011]</ref> * ''Lepidium arbuscula'' * ''Lepidium aschersonii'' {{small|Thell.}} – spiny peppercress * ''Lepidium austrinum'' {{small|Small}} – Southern Pepperweed * ''Lepidium banksii'' * ''Lepidium barnebyanum'' * ''Lepidium biplicatum'' * ''Lepidium bonariense'' – peppercress * ''Lepidium campestre'' – field pepperwort, field cress * ''Lepidium catapycnon'' * ''Lepidium coronopus'' – swine cress * ''Lepidium davisii'' – Davis' peppergrass<ref name="hagwood1">{{cite web |last=Hagwood |first=Sheri |title=Sensitive Plants of the JRA |url=http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/id/publications/technical_bulletins.Par.98306.File.dat/tb06-01.pdf |publisher=Idaho BLM |access-date=2 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503002232/http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/id/publications/technical_bulletins.Par.98306.File.dat/tb06-01.pdf |archive-date=3 May 2014}}</ref> * ''Lepidium densiflorum'' – common pepperweed * ''Lepidium desvauxii'' – bushy peppercress * ''Lepidium dictyotum'' * ''Lepidium didymum'' * ''Lepidium draba'' – hoary cress * ''Lepidium drummondii'' * ''Lepidium echinatum'' * ''Lepidium ecuadoriense'' * ''Lepidium englerianum'' * ''Lepidium fasciculatum'' – bundled peppercress * ''Lepidium flavum'' * ''Lepidium flexicaule'' * ''Lepidium foliosum'' – leafy peppercress * ''Lepidium fremontii'' – desert pepperweed * ''Lepidium genistoides'' * ''Lepidium ginninderrense'' * ''Lepidium graminifolium'' * ''Lepidium howei-insulae'' – mustard & cress * ''Lepidium hypenantion'' * ''Lepidium hyssopifolium'' * ''Lepidium heterophyllum'' – Smith's pepperwort, Smith's cress * ''Lepidium jaredii'' – Jared's pepperweed * ''Lepidium lasiocarpum'' * ''Lepidium latifolium'' – pepperweed, dittander * ''Lepidium latipes'' * ''Lepidium lyratogynum'' * ''Lepidium merrallii'' *''Lepidium medocinense'' {{small|(Hauman) Al-Shehbaz}} * ''Lepidium meyenii'' (syn. ''L. peruvianum'') – maca * ''Lepidium monoplocoides'' – winged peppercress * ''Lepidium montanum'' – western pepperweed, mountain pepperweed * ''Lepidium nanum'' – dwarf pepperweed * ''Lepidium nesophilum'' * ''Lepidium nitidum'' – shining pepperweed * ''Lepidium oblongum'' * ''Lepidium oleraceum'' – Cook's scurvy grass (near extinct) * ''Lepidium oxycarpum'' – forked pepperweed * ''Lepidium oxytrichum'' * ''Lepidium papilliferum'' – slickspot peppergrass * ''Lepidium papillosum'' – warty peppercress * ''Lepidium pedicellosum'' * ''Lepidium peregrinum'' * ''Lepidium perfoliatum'' * ''Lepidium peruvianum'' * ''Lepidium phlebopetalum'' * ''Lepidium pholidogynum'' * ''Lepidium pinnatifidum'' * ''Lepidium platypetalum'' – slender peppercress * ''Lepidium pseudohyssopifolium'' * ''Lepidium pseudoruderale'' * ''Lepidium pseudotasmanicum'' * ''Lepidium puberulum'' * ''Lepidium quitense'' * ''Lepidium rotundum'' – veined peppercress * ''Lepidium ruderale'' – narrow-leaved pepperwort * ''Lepidium sagittulatum'' * ''Lepidium sativum'' – garden cress * ''Lepidium scandens'' * ''Lepidium squamatum'' * ''Lepidium strictum'' * ''Lepidium thurberi'' – Thurber's peppergrass, Thurber's pepperweed * ''Lepidium virginicum'' – Virginia peppercress * ''Lepidium xylodes'' {{div col end}}

==See also== * {{Cite book |last1=Everitt |first1=J.H. |last2=Lonard |first2=R.L. |last3=Little |first3=C.R. |title=Weeds in South Texas and Northern Mexico |publisher=Texas Tech University Press |location=Lubbock |year=2007}} {{ISBN|0-89672-614-2}} *{{cite web |url=https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/68695 |title=''Lepidium'' |website=Australian Plant Name Index (APNI) |publisher=Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government |access-date=15 March 2023}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == *{{cite web |url=https://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/TSRP32.pdf |title=Inland ''Lepidium'' recovery plan 2000-2010 |year=2000 |publisher=Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand | access-date = 2007-10-04}} *{{cite web |url=https://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/tsrp26.pdf |title=Coastal Cresses (Nau) Recovery Plan |author=D.A. Norton |author2=P.J. de Lange |year=1999 |publisher=Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand | access-date = 2007-04-19}} * [https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/profile/hairy-whitetop Species Profile: Hairy Whitetop (''Lepidium appelianum'').] National Invasive Species Information Center, United States National Agricultural Library.

Category:Lepidium Category:Brassicaceae genera Category:Tumbleweeds Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus