Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

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Lepidium pseudohyssopifolium

Common name

Peppercress, Native peppercress

Family

Brassicaceae

Where found

Variety of habitats. Widespread, mostly north and east and west from near Captains Flat south east of the ACT.

Notes

Annual to perennial herb to 0.6 m tall, hairless. Leaves basal and alternating up the stems, variable, from narrow-linear, 1-2 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, to broadly lance head shaped, to 9 cm long, about 15 mm wide, hairless, margins hairless to hairy with needle like or conical hairs, tips pointed. Basal leaves lobed or toothed. Stem leaves alternating up the stems, 1-9 cm long, 1-15 mm wide, toothed or entire. Flowers tiny (less than 3 mm in diameter), with 4 petals to 0.8 mm long or petals absent, and 4 sepals to about 0.8 mm long. Flowers in an unbranched cluster at the top of the stem, which elongates in seed. Flowers mostly spring–autumn. Seed cases elliptical to oval, 3-5 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, with narrow wings in the upper half forming a shallow open notch. (needs a hand lens or a macro app on your phone/tablet to see.) Stalks of seed cases spreading, 3–8 mm long, usually hairless.

 hairless, margins hairless to hairy with needle like or conical hairs, tips pointed. Basal leaves lobed or toothed; stem leaves entire.

Vulnerable Australia. Data deficient Vic.

PlantNET description with line drawing and photo of dried plants: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Lepidium~pseudohyssopifolium  (accessed 22 January, 2021)