Lepidium

Hoary cress ( Lepidium draba )

Cress ( Lepidium ) are a genus of the family of the cruciferous plants (Brassicaceae ). In the kitchen, two species are used: garden cress ( Lepidium sativum ) and savory ( Lepidium latifolium ).

  • 5.1 Notes and references

Description

Vegetative characteristics

Lepidium species are one or two years to perennial herbaceous plants, rarely subshrubs or even shrubs; few species are climbing plants. The plant parts are not hairy or different depending on the type. The branched or unbranched stems are usually erect or ascending, sometimes lying, prostrate or creeping.

The alternate, basal and distributed along the stems arranged ( at Lepidium fremontii no basal leaves are present) leaves are petiolate or sessile. The petiole is not clearly separated from the leaf blade. The leaf blade is simple or pinnately divided. The leaf margins are smooth, lobed, notched, perforated or sawed.

Generative features

There are grape-like formed to schirmtraubige inflorescences, which are extended in some species to fruit maturity. There are no bracts present.

The stalked, hermaphrodite, radial symmetry flowers are cruciform with double perianth. The four sepals are usually ovate or oblong, rarely almost circular. There are usually four erect or spreading, white to yellow or pink petals exist, they are rarely rudimentary or absent. The petals can be nailed. Often just two stamens are present; it may be four or six. There are formed four or six nectar glands. Two carpels are fused into a superior ovaries and have three ovules per ovary chamber. The pen can not be seen until the crown be superior, usually with capitate or rarely bilobed scar.

Its fruits are hairy or hairless, very differently shaped silicles with only two seeds. The seeds can be winged.

Dissemination

The genus Lepidium is widely used in North America ( 42 species ), Mexico, Central America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, in northern and southern Africa.

System

The genus name Lepidium was first published by Carl Linnaeus in Species Plantarum (1753 ). As Lepidium latifolium Lektotypus has been set. The genus name is Lepidium lepidion from the Greek word or lepidos derived by scale and refers to the appearance of the fruit.

At Al - Shehbaz et al. (2002) the species of the former genus Cardaria, Coronopus and Stroganowia were placed in the genus Lepidium. Synonyms for Lepidium L. are: Carara Medicus, Cardaria Desvaux, Coronopus tin, Neolepia WAWeber, Physolepidion Schrenk, Senebiera DC, Sprengeria Greene, Karelin & Kirilov Stroganowia. . The genus Lepidium belongs to the tribe Lepidieae within the family Brassicaceae.

The genus Lepidium include about 140 to 220 species (selection):

  • Lepidium acutidens ( A. Gray ) Howell
  • Lepidium africanum ( Burm. f ) DC.
  • Lepidium alashanicum H.L.Yang
  • Lepidium alluaudii Maire
  • Lepidium alyssoides A.Gray
  • Lepidium apetalum Willd. ( Syn: Lepidium micranthum Ledeb. )
  • Lepidium appelianum Al- Shehbaz ( Syn: Cardaria pubescens ( CAMey. ) Jarm, Hymenophysa pubescens CAMey. . )
  • Lepidium arbuscula Hillebr.
  • Lepidium aucheri Boiss.
  • Lepidium austrinum Small
  • Lepidium barnebyanum Reveal
  • Lepidium biden tatum Montin
  • Lepidium L. bonariense
  • Lepidium brachyotum ( Karelin & Kirilov ) Al- Shehbaz
  • Field cress ( Lepidium campestre (L.) WTAiton, Syn: Thlaspi campestre L.)
  • Lepidium capense Thunb. ( Syn: Lepidium africanum auct. )
  • Lepidium capitatum J.D.Hooker & Thomson
  • Lepidium cardamines L.
  • Salt cress ( Lepidium cartilagineum ( JCMayer ) Thell, Syn. Lepidium crassifolium Waldst & Kit, Thlaspi cartilagineum JCMayer. . ) subsp. caespitosum ( Desv. ) Thell.
  • Subsp. cartilagineum
  • Subsp. pumilum ( Boiss. & Balansa ) Hedge
  • Subsp. anticarium ( Valdés - Bermejo & G. López ) Greuter & Burdet
  • Subsp. atlanticum (Ball) Maire
  • Subsp. hirtum
  • Subsp. nebrodense ( Rafin. ) Thell.
  • Subsp. rifanum Emberger & Maire
  • Subsp. sativum
  • Subsp. spinescens ( DC.) Thell.
  • Subsp. reverchonii ( Debeaux ) Breistr.
  • Subsp. villarsii

Use

From many species, the leaves are used raw as a salad, sometimes eaten cooked or as a spice. From the field cress ( Lepidium campestre ) and the Virginian cress ( Lepidium virginicum ) the seeds are used as a pepper substitute. From the seeds of Dichtblütigen cress ( Lepidium densiflorum ) one can produce a kind of mustard. Can nitidum The seeds of Lepidium fremontii, Lepidium intermedium, Lepidium latifolium and Lepidium be used as a spice. The roots of Lepidium meyenii have cooked a sweet, good taste. From the seeds of garden cress ( Lepidium sativum ) can be prepared edible oil and use the germinated seeds as sprouts. The medical effects of many types have been examined.

Swell

  • Tai - Yien Cheo, Lianli Lu, Guang Yang, Ihsan Al- Shehbaz & Vladimir Dorofeev: Brassicaceae in the Flora of China, Volume 8, 2001, p 28: Lepidium - Online. ( Description section )
  • Ihsan A. Al - Shehbaz, John F. Gaskin: Brassicaceae in the Flora of North America, Volume 7, 2010, p 570: Lepidium - Online. (Section Description, distribution and systematics)
  • Description in the Western Australian flora. (English )
  • IA Al- Shehbaz, K. Mummenhoff & O. Appel: Cardaria, Coronopus, and Stroganowia are united with Lepidium ( Brassicaceae), In: Novon, 12, 2002, pp. 5-11.
Vine Ovary (botany) Agricultural Research Service
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