Description
Lepidium coronopus is a robust herb, grown as an annual,[2] rarely biennial.[3] With a tap root.[4]
60–100 cm (2 ft 0 in – 3 ft 3 in)
a greyish green low growing plant with small finely divided leaves, 5-12 cm tall, flowers June - September
tiny white flowers have 4 petals that are longer than the sepals, grown in clusters opposite a leaf,
fruits have a wart-like surface, and are broader than long, with short stalks, fruit only contains 1 or 2 seeds, seeds are small and pear shaped.[5]
flowers in tight clusters at tip of the main stem and opposite the leaves, rather small,
detail = more or less hairless, stems sprawling, leaves dull blue-green, slightly fleshy, to 10cm long,
basal leaves cut into 2-9 pairs of lobes (in turn irregularly lobed) plus a strap shaped terminal lobe, dying off by flowering time,
upper leaves narrower, more or less unlobed, petals 1-2mm longer than sepals, stamens 6, all with anthers.
pod kidney shaped, flattened, 3-4.7mm across, with a shortly protruding style, stalk shorter than pod.
seed pods irregularly wrinkled
[6]
stem, often several from base, usually procumbent, rarely ascending, branched distally,
(0.3)0.6-2.5(-3.5) dm
Basal leaves, rosulate, petiole 2-5 cm blade 1 or 2 pinnatisect, 4-10 cm margins (of lobes) entire or dentate,
Cauline leaves, shortly petiolate, blade pinnatisect, basecuneate, not auriculate,
flowering may-aug
racemes, (leaf opposed), slightly elongated in fruit, rachis glabrous (hairy)
fruiting pedicels, ascending straight, stout, terete, 1-2 * 0.4-0.5mm glabrous,
flowers, sepals oblong, 1-1.5 * 0.5-0.6 mm, petals white, obovate to oblong, 1-2 * 0.4-0.6 mm,
6 stamens, filaments median pairs 0.7-1 mm glabrous, anthers 0.15-0.25 mm
Fruits, reniform to ovate-cordate, 2.3-3.4 * 3-4.4 mm, apically not winged, with distinct ridges, glabrous,
seeds, ovate-oblong, (curved but not winged) 1.2-1.6 * 0.7-1mm
[7]
glabrous or puberulent. Stems often several from base, usually procumbent to decumbent, rarely ascending, branched distally, (0.3-)0.6-2.5(-3.5) dm. Basal leaves rosulate; petiole (1-)2-5(-5.8) cm; blade 1- or 2-pinnatisect, (3-)4-10(-15) cm, margins (of lobes) entire or dentate. Cauline leaves shortly petiolate; blade pinnatisect, base cuneate, not auriculate, margins (of lobes) entire or dentate, (similar to basal, smaller and less divided distally). Racemes (leaf-opposed), ± slightly elongated in fruit; rachis glabrous. Fruiting pedicels ascending, straight, (stout, terete), (0.7-)1-2(-2.4) × 0.4-0.5 mm, glabrous. Flowering May-Aug. Flowers: sepals (persistent), oblong, 1-1.5 × 0.5-0.6 mm; petals white, obovate to obovate-oblong, 1-2 × 0.4-0.6 mm, claw absent; stamens 6; filaments (median pairs) 0.7-1 mm, (glabrous); anthers 0.15-0.25 mm. Fruits (indehiscent), reniform to ovate-cordate, 2.3-3.4 × 3-4.4 mm, apically not winged, apical notch absent; valves thick, rugose-verrucose, with distinct ridges, prominently veined, glabrous; style 0.2-0.7 mm. Seeds ovate-oblong, (curved, not winged), 1.2-1.6 × 0.7-1 mm.[2]
Swinecress, Coronopus squamatus
Description - Low to short prostrate plant. Leaves mostly 1 to 2 pinnately lobed dark green and strap like. June to September. Flowers small, white 2 to 3 mm in short crowded racemes. Fruit kidney shaped, net veined.[8]
Even to a tall botanist the flowers are obviously significantly larger than L. didymum, being more like 3 - 4 mm in diameter in this particular plant. [9]
Leaves The leaves are feathery and pinnate and start growing in a rosette but this soon becomes a tangled mass of stems and leaves.
Flowers Has tiny, white/green, delicate, complicated four petaled flowers that start appearing from April to October.
The seeds form a bi-globose fruit with two seeds in each fruit.
Stem Can be long, hairy and very branched.[4]
Possible Confusion Swine Cress is very similar to Lesser Swine Cress (Lepidium didymum) but is edible.[4]
greater swinecress
annual or biennial, stems trailing to spreading, 5-30cm long,
branched, leaves alternate, oblong-oval or lance shaped, margins deeply lobed and toothed, lower leaves stalked, upper stalkless,
flowers a dense axillary raceme, flowers white or purplish, four sepals, spreading, four petals occasionally absent,
1-1.5mm long, 2 or 4 stamens. 1 pistil, fruit a silicle, 2.5-3mm long, stalk 1-2mm long
[3]
seeds elliptic, flattish, with a large oval and deep hium,
1.1-1.5 x 1.3-1.7 mm surface lustreless coarse lumpy, dirty yellowish [10]
fruit without a notch but with pointed bumps and 6 stamen[11]
Taxonomy
It has a few common names including 'creeping wart cress',[13] 'warty swine-cress', which is derived from the distinctive fruits,[9] 'crowfoot' (it's leaf shape [14]), 'greater swine cress',[3][15] and 'swine cress'.[8][16] The name 'swine cress' comes from its use as a poor quality salad alternative and thought only suitable for eating by pigs.[5]
It was originally described and published as Cochlearia coronopus by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in his seminal publication 'Species Plantarum' Vol.2 in 1753, on page 648. Later as the Lepidium species was formed, Ihsan Ali Al-Shehbaz then published the plant as Lepidium coronopus in 'Novon' Vol.14 on page 152 in 2004.[1]
The specific epithet coronopus, refers to Theophrastus (c. 371 – c. 287 BC, Greek philosopher and author) who's name in Greek is κορωνοπους, meaning 'crowfoot' (or κορωνηπους ) about a leaf's shape.[14][17]
Distribution and habitat
Lepidium coronopus is native to temperate areas of Africa, western Asia and Europe.[3][16][18]
Range
It is found in Africa, within Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. It is also found in western Asia, within Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Caucasus, Dagestan (in Russia), Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. In middle Europe, it is found within Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland and Ukraine. In northern Europe, within Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.[16] In southern England, around the coasts of Wales and on the southern coasts in Ireland, it is common.[9] In south-eastern Europe, within Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia. In southwestern Europe within France, Portugal and Spain.[16]
It has also widely naturalised in other places, such as Norway in Europe. In Africa, within the Azores, the Madeira Islands, the Canary Islands and South Africa.[18][2] In Australia,[18][2] within the state of South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and in New Zealand.[16] In America, has widely naturalised in North America, from the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec in Canada. Also in the American states of Missouri, New Jersey, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee and California.[2][3] Lastly in South America, within Chile.[18][16][7]
Habitat
It is found growing in waste grounds,[5][8][4] pathways,[8] arable fields,[6][4] abandoned fields, pastures, disturbed sites and along roadsides.[2][4]
It also likes well trodden places,[5] or compacted soils,[6] such as field gateways,[8] or field entrances.[6]
.jpg)
