Lepidium oxytrichum Sprague

Species

Angiosperms > Brassicales > Brassicaceae > Lepidium

Characteristics

Ephemeral or annual herb mostly 10–30 cm high, erect, hairy with acicular hairs; mature plants often purple. Basal leaves pinnate to bipinnate, up to 10 cm long; cauline leaves reducing, pinnate to remotely dentate, sessile, the base sagittate, auriculate. Inflorescence an elongating raceme. Sepals 1 mm long. Petals absent. Stamens 4, rarely 3 or 2, median. Stigma sessile. Silicula dehiscent, elliptic to obovate, 4.5–5.5 mm long, 3.5–4 mm wide, with acicular hairs; wings in upper half, obtuse, c. ⅕ length of fruit, forming an open notch; pedicels 3–4 mm long, erect to spreading. Seeds c. 2 mm long; radicle incumbent.
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A cabbage family herb. It is an annual plant. It grows 5-50 cm high and spreads 10-30 cm wide. It often has purple tinges near maturity. The stems have slightly prickly hairs. The leaves vary. The leaves near the base are 10 cm long and divided along the stalk. Leaves on the stem are smaller and simple. They can clasp the stem. There are teeth along the edge. The flowering stalks are elongated. The flowers are very small and lack petals. There are usually 4 stamens. The fruit is dry and long with 2 sections. It is about 0.5 cm long by 0.4 cm wide. There are wings on the upper half and it has prickly hairs.
Life form annual
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 0.1 - 0.3
Mature height (meter) 0.08 - 0.4
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

It grows in subtropical and warm temperate locations. It grows in semi-arid and arid areas. It needs a sunny location and well drained soil.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

Reported as being eaten by aboriginals in the Mount Liebig region of central Australia where it was known as Inmurta or Immota. In the northern Flinders Range it was known as Kuppinupinya.
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The stems are leaves are steamed and eaten.
Uses animal food food
Edible leaves stems
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seed.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Lepidium oxytrichum world distribution map, present in Australia

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:286328-1
WFO ID wfo-0001220428
COL ID 6PBHG
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Lepidium oxytrichum