Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 10, 2026

Lepidium

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. It includes familiar species such as garden cress, maca, and dittander. General common names include peppercress, peppergrass, pepperweed, and pepperwort. Some species form tumbleweeds. 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.

Last revised
Jun 10, 2026
Read time
≈ 3 min
Length
771 w
Citations
9
Source
Lepidium
Lepidium flavum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Lepidium
L. (1753)
Species1

265, see text

Synonyms1
Synonymy
  • Carara Medik. (1792)
  • Cardamon Fourr. (1868)
  • Cardaria Desv. (1815)
  • Cardiolepis Wallr. (1822)
  • Coronopus Zinn (1757)
  • Cotyliscus Desv. (1815)
  • Cynocardamum Webb & Berthel. (1836)
  • Cyphocardamum Hedge (1968)
  • Dileptium Raf. (1817)
  • Eudistemon Raf. (1830)
  • Hymenophysa C.A.Mey. (1831)
  • Iberis Hill (1756), nom. illeg.
  • Jundzillia Andrz. ex DC. (1821), not validly publ.
  • Lasioptera Andrz. ex DC. (1821)
  • Lepia Desv. (1815)
  • Lepicochlea Rojas (1918)
  • Lepidiberis Fourr. (1868)
  • Lepidion St.-Lag. (1880), orth. var.
  • Lithodraba Boelcke (1951)
  • Monoploca Bunge (1845)
  • Nasturtiastrum Gillet & Magne (1863)
  • Nasturtioides Medik. (1792)
  • Nasturtiolum Medik. (1792)
  • Nasturtium Mill. (1754), nom. rej.
  • Neolepia W.A.Weber (1989)
  • Papuzilla Ridl. (1916)
  • Physolepidion Schrenk ex Fisch. & C.A.Mey. (1841)
  • Semetum Raf. (1840)
  • Senckenbergia G.Gaertn., B.Mey. & Scherb. (1800)
  • Senebiera DC. (1799)
  • Sennebiera Willd. (1809)
  • Sprengeria Greene (1906)
  • Stroganowia Kar. & Kir. (1841)
  • Stubendorffia Schrenk ex Fisch. (1844)
  • Uranodactylus Gilli (1959)
  • Winklera Regel (1886)

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.2 It includes familiar species such as garden cress, maca, and dittander. General common names include peppercress, peppergrass, pepperweed, and pepperwort. Some species form tumbleweeds.3 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.4

Species

Lepidium latifolium on the Kattegat source ↗
Lepidium lasiocarpum var. lasiocarpum source ↗
Lepidium fremontii source ↗

Plants of the World Online accepts 265 species in the genus.1 10 species are found in California.4

Species include:

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Lepidium L. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  2. Lepidium. Flora of North America.
  3. Faulkner, H. W. (1917). The Mysteries of the Flowers. Frederick A. Stokes company. p. 238. page 210
  4. Sia Morhardt and Emil Morhardt California Desert Flowers: An Introduction to Families, Genera, and Species , p. 101, at Google Books
  5. Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden. 20 Dec 2011
  6. Hagwood, Sheri. "Sensitive Plants of the JRA" (PDF). Idaho BLM. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 May 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
External links