SPECIES DESCRIPTION
LEPIDIUM SPINOSUM
Family and Genus:- See- CRUCIFERAE/Sect. LEPIOCARDAMON
Common Names:- None
Homotypic Synonyms:- Lepidium cornutum
Meaning:- Lepidium. Meaning unknown.
Spinosum (L) Spine.
General description:- Hairless annual or biennial.
Leaves:-
1) Basal and lower cauline, pinnately divided, the lobes linear and lobed again
at the base.
2) Mddle and upper cauline, linear or linear-oblanceolate, cuneate at the base.
Flowers:-
1) Inflorescence, branches spiny in fruit.
2) Sepals, 1-1·5 mm, white-margined.
3) Petals, 1½ times as long as the sepals.
4) Pedicels, 1-2 mm in fruit.
5) Style, not exceeding the notch.
Fruit:-
1) Silicula, 5-6 x c. 3 mm, obovate, very deeply notched at the apex, glabrous, the
wings very wide above.
Key features:-
1) Wing of the silicula connate with the lower part of the style.
2) Silicula at least 4 mm.
3) Middle and upper cauline leaves cuneate at the base.
3) Pedicels 1-2 mm in fruit.
Habitat:- Sandy fields and other open, dry habitats, often near the sea. 0-400(-900)
m.
Distribution:- Fairly common in the Aegean area. native in the Balkan Peninsula
W & S Anatolia and Syria, introduced and casual elsewhere. Sporadic distribution
on Crete, mainly west of centre.
Flowering time:- Mid-Mar to May(-June).
Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis, Ori Fragman-Sapir Flora of Israel & Saxafraga
