Lepidium draba L.

Lepidium species are annual or perennial herbs or rarely undershrubs, glabrous or pubescent with simple or branched hairs, not scapose. Rootstocks slender, taproot. Stem erect, ascending, rarely decumbent or procumbent, leafy, simple or usually branched, glabrous or pubescent. Basal leaves simple, rarely absent, rosulate or not, linear lanceolate to oblong, base cuneate to attenuate, margin entire to pinnatifid, apex acute to obtuse, petiole short to sessile, cauline leaves usually similar but smaller, base auriculate or not, petiole subsessile to sessile. Inflorescence raceme corymbs, few to many flowered, elongated or not in fruit, ebracteate. Flowers bisexual, white, yellow, pink, pedicel erect, divaricate, stout, slender, ascending, sepals 4, ovate-oblong, usually deciduous or sometimes persistent, lateral pair base not saccate, apex obtuse, petals 4, sometimes rudimentary, obovate-oblong to orbicular, base cuneate, margins entire, apex obtuse or emarginated, claw distinct or absent. Stamens 2 or 4, in equal length, median or lateral, or 6 tetradynamous, filaments not dilated near the base, anthers ovate-oblong, nectar glands 4 to 6, median glands usually present. Ovary superior, sessile, ellipsoid-cylindrical, bicarpellary, ovules 2. Fruit silicula, dehiscent, ovate-obovate to orbicular-obovoid, terete, angustiseptate, compressed, keeled or rounded at the back, valves prominent or not veined, glabrous or pubescent, replum rounded, septum complete, membranous, style obsolete, stigma capitate, entire or rarely bilobed. Seeds 1-2, each in a locule, brown, compressed or flattened, ovate-ovoid, winged, smooth minutely reticulate, nicely mucilaginous when soaked, cotyledons usually incumbent.

Lepidium species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: April—August.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Perennial herbs, glabrous or sparsely hirsute with simple or branched hairs, about 20-100 cm tall, not scapose. Rootstocks slender, taproot. Stem erect or decumbent, ascending, leafy, usually simple near the base, branched above, sparsely to densely hirsute. Basal radical leaves simple, usually withered by flowering, ovate-lanceolate to obovate, about 3-15 x 1-4 cm across, base cuneate, margin sinuate dentate to entire, apex obtuse to subacute, petiole about 1-3.5 cm long, cauline leaves gradually smaller, ovate-elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, about 2.5-9 x 0.7-3 cm across, base amplexicaul or auricled, margins entire or coarsely dentate, apex acute to subobtuse, petiole sessile. Inflorescence raceme corymbs, usually terminal, many flowered, elongated in fruit, glabrous or puberulent, ebracteate. Flowers bisexual, cream white, pedicel erect, divaricate, slender, ascending or horizontal, glabrous or sparsely puberulent, about 5-15 mm long, sepals 4, ovate-oblong, caducous, usually deciduous, margins white, lateral pair base not saccate, apex obtuse, glabrous or puberulent, about 1.5-2.5 mm long, petals 4, triangular-obovate, base narrowed, margins entire, apex subemarginate or retuse, about 3.5-5 x 2-3 mm across, claw distinct. Stamens 6, about 2-3 mm long, filaments not dilated near the base, anthers ovate about 0.5 mm long. Ovary superior, sessile, ellipsoid-cylindrical, bicarpellary, ovules 2. Fruit silicula, indehiscent, subreniform to cordate, terete, about 2.5-4 x 3.5-5 mm across, compressed, apex obtuse, notched absent, not winged, replum rounded, septum complete, style 0.5-1 mm long, stigma included with the apical notch. Seeds 2, each in a locule, reddish brown, slightly compressed or flattened, ovate-ovoid, about 1.5-2.3 x 1 mm across, smooth minutely reticulate, nicely mucilaginous when soaked, and cotyledons usually incumbent.

Lepidium species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus, mildews and moulds.

Mountain slopes, near cultivated fields, roadsides and waste places, altitude up to 4000 m.

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Seeds are used as a medicine for flatulence and fish poisoning.