Lepidium aucheri Boiss.

 

Nile region and western desert.

Egypt, southwest Asia.

Lepidium borsczovi (Regel) N. Busch, probably of saline habitats, is a dwarf form of this species, which is very variable in size but the appressed siliculae are very distinctive.

Annual, up to 30 cm long, suberect to procumbent, branched mostly from the base, glabrous or sub-hairy with simple hairs; secondary branches usually short, bearing mostly flowers and fruits. Basal leaves oblong, narrowed below, pinnati¬fid to pinnatipartite, stalked, 4-7 cm long, 5-10 mm broad, glabrous; lobes few, short, oblong, obtuse; upper leaves oblong, obtuse, dentate to entire, shortly stalk¬ed to subsessile. Racemes 30-50-flowered, up to 10 cm long in fruit. Flowers small, c. 2 mm across, white; pedicel c. 1.5 mm long, increasing up to 3 mm in fruit, becoming somewhat thickened and appressed to stem. Sepals c. 1 mm long, oblong, suborbicular. Petals c. 1.5 mm long, 0.6 mm broad, spathulate, apex rounded. Stamens 6; c. 1.2: 1.4 mm long, anthers minute. Siliculae 2.5-3 mm long, 1.5-2 mm broad, ovate-oblong; apex notched and slightly winged with short style included within it; septum c. 0.4 mm broad; seed c. 1 mm long, oblong, pale brown.

Distribution: Syria, Iraq, Turcomania, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Fl. Per.: April-June.