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Lepidium virginicum Linnaeus var. virginicum . Poor Man's Pepper. Phen: Feb-Jun (-Dec). Hab: Disturbed areas. Dist: L. virginicum var. virginicum is widespread in e. and c. North America; also introduced in various places elsewhere in the world.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: Rollins (1993) interprets L. virginicum as having eight varieties, seven of the eight restricted to western North America (TX and west) and Central America. For North America, FNA recognizes two subspecies.

Synonymy ⓘ: = C, G, K1, NE, Tx, Al-Shehbaz (1986a), Al-Shehbaz (1986b), Rollins (1993); = Lepidium virginicum L. – S, S13; = Lepidium virginicum L. ssp. virginicum – FNA7, K3, K4, NY; < Lepidium virginicum L. – Ar, Bah, F, GBI2, GrPl, Il, Mex, Mi, NcTx, Pa, RAB, Tat, Tn, Va, W, WH3, WV

Links to other floras: = Lepidium virginicum ssp. virginicum - FNA7

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Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: UPL (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
  • Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU (name change)
  • Great Plains: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
  • Midwest: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
  • Northcentral & Northeast: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)

Heliophily ⓘ: 9

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image of plant© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Josh, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Josh source CC-BY | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alan Weakley source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Josh, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Josh source CC-BY | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Paul Marcum source | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Upright annual with racemes of tiny, white flowers; weedy on roadsides and other disturbed areas.

Stems: Stems smooth or thinly hairy, much-branched in upper reaches.

Leaves: Leaves of basal rosette to 4 in. long, obovate to spatulate and pinnately divided into toothed lobes (withering by flowering); stem leaves alternate, smaller, toothed but not lobed.

Inforescence: Cylindrical racemes top the summits of branches.

Flowers: Lower flowers open first and each is on a short, spreading pedicel and less than 1/8 in. wide with 4 tiny white petals.

Fruits: Fruit flat, rounded pods with a tiny notch at the top.

Comments:

Height: 4-20 in.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Upright annual with racemes of tiny, white flowers; weedy on roadsides and other disturbed areas.

stems: Stems smooth or thinly hairy, much-branched in upper reaches.

leaves: Leaves of basal rosette to 4 in. long, obovate to spatulate and pinnately divided into toothed lobes (withering by flowering); stem leaves alternate, smaller, toothed but not lobed.

inflorescence: Cylindrical racemes top the summits of branches.

flowers: Lower flowers open first and each is on a short, spreading pedicel and less than 1/8 in. wide with 4 tiny white petals.

fruits: Fruit flat, rounded pods with a tiny notch at the top.

comments:

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: