Lepidium ramosissimum A. Nelson
branched pepper-grass (manybranched pepperweed)
Brassicaceae (Mustard family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Bryan Kelly-McArthur     (Photo ID #86964)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Lepidium ramosissimum
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Species Information

General:
Winter annual or biennial herb from a taproot; stems freely branched, leafy, 10-60 cm tall, short-hairy with fine hairs, the hairs often pointing toward the stem-base.
Leaves:
Basal leaves usually deciduous by flowering time, pinnately cut, the lobes more or less toothed; upper stem leaves mostly linear, entire to sparsely lobed.
Flowers:
Inflorescences in terminal, open, few- to many-flowered racemes, usually with numerous smaller racemes from the upper leaf bases; flower stalks about the length of silicles, nearly round in cross section, very slightly laterally winged, densely hairy; petals white, more or less vestigial, linear, shorter than the sepals or lacking; sepals about 1 mm long.
Fruits:
Silicles, nearly elliptic, 2.5-3.0 mm long, glabrous, or hairy near the margins and minutely hairy on the margins, slightly winged at the tip, shallowly slightly notched; sinuses about 0.2 mm deep; beaks lacking or nearly so.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Habitat and Range

Dry roadsides and disturbed area in the lowland and steppe zones; rare in E BC and on the Gulf Islands; E to ON and S to NM, native status uncertain in BC.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia