Lepidium didymum

Species of flowering plant

Lesser swine-cress

Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Plantae
Clade:  | Tracheophytes
Clade:  | Angiosperms
Clade:  | Eudicots
Clade:  | Rosids
Order:  | Brassicales
Family:  | Brassicaceae
Genus:  | Lepidium
Species:  |

L. didymum

Binomial name
Lepidium didymum

L.[1]

Synonyms

Coronopus didymus[2]

Lepidium didymum, the lesser swine-cress,[3] is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae.

## Description[edit]

Lepidium didymum is an annual or biennial herb[4] with decumbent or ascending and glabrous green stems, up to 40 centimetres (16 in) long, radiating from a central position. The leaves are pinnate and alternate and can reach a length of 5 cm (2 in). It blooms between July and September. The flowers are inconspicuous, the four white petals very short or absent, with 2 (rarely 4),[5]: 54 stamens and the fruits consist of two rounded valves, notched at the apex, with a very short style between.[6]: 405 [7] They are also wrinkled and contain orange or reddish brown seeds, that are 1–5 mm long.[7]

## Taxonomy[edit]

It was first described and published by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 'Mant. Pl.' (Mantissa Plantarum) on page 92 in 1767.[8][1]

The specific epithet didymum, refers to the Greek word δίδυμα for 'twin' or 'in pairs',[9] referring to the seed capsule.

## Distribution[edit]

Lepidium didymum is of uncertain origin,[4] but is often cited as native to South America,[6][5] mainly Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.[10] It has been introduced elsewhere as a weed of cultivation. It has naturalised across the globe, from Africa, Europe, Asia, Australasia, North America and South America.[10] In Britain, it had been recorded from the wild by 1778,[4] chiefly in England and the south of Ireland,[11] growing on cultivated and waste ground, in gardens and lawns, by paths and roadsides.

## Uses[edit]

The leaves of this plant are edible, and have a salty, cress or mustard flavour.[12][13]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "Lepidium didymum". The Plant List. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
2. ^ "Coronopus didymus". The Plant List. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
3. ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
4. ^ a b c "Online Atlas of the British & Irish flora: Coronopus didymus (Lesser swine cress)". London, U.K.: Biological Records Centre and Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
5. ^ a b Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G.; Warburg, E.F. (1981). Excursion Flora of the British Isles (Third ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521232902.
6. ^ a b Stace, C. A. (2010). New Flora of the British Isles (Third ed.). Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521707725.
7. ^ a b Gaby H. Schmelzer, Gabriella Harriet Schmelzer and Ameenah Gurib-Fakim (Editors) Medicinal Plants, Volume 1, p. 362, at Google Books
8. ^ "Brassicaceae Lepidium didymum L." ipni.org. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
9. ^ "Botanary: didymum". davesgarden.com. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
10. ^ a b "Taxon: Lepidium didymum L." npgsweb.ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
11. ^ "BSBI Distribution maps:Lepidium didymum". London, U.K.: Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
12. ^ "Lesser Swine Cress, Coronopus didymus, Lepidium didymum". Wild Food UK. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
13. ^ "Swinecress, Wart Cress: Micro Mustards". Eat The Weeds and other things, too. 25 December 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2021.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lepidium didymum.

Taxon identifiers|

* Wikidata: Q149609
* Wikispecies: Lepidium didymum
* AoFP: 398
* APA: 1238
* APDB: 77942
* APNI: 69247
* Calflora: 10940
* CoL: 6P8ZL
* EoL: 582135
* FloraBase: 19989
* FNA: 242328875
* FoAO2: Lepidium didymum
* FoC: 242328875
* GBIF: 5377060
* GRIN: 423806
* iNaturalist: 60987
* IPNI: 286148-1
* IRMNG: 10589812
* ISC: 113475
* ITIS: 515763
* NBN: NHMSYS0100001930
* NCBI: 398450
* NSWFlora: Lepidium~didymum
* NZOR: 630f200f-c84a-411d-bc70-a4b3a454c0e1
* NZPCN: 3702
* Open Tree of Life: 237117
* PFI: 1622
* Plant List: kew-2337750
* POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:286148-1
* Tropicos: 4101034
* uBio: 616734
* VASCAN: 3976
* VicFlora: 1044cc3a-2983-4f71-a52d-f5a836ec150a
* WisFlora: 13112
* WFO: wfo-0000358253

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