Least pepperwort (Lepidium virginicum, Sp. Pl.: 645 (1753))

Family: Brassicaceae

Author: L.

Bibliography: Sp. Pl.: 645 (1753)

Year: 1753

Status: accepted

Rank: species

Genus: Lepidium

Vegetable: False

Observations: Canada to C. America, Caribbean

Description

The plant commonly known as Least pepperwort, scientifically designated as Lepidium virginicum, is a member of the Brassicaceae family. This species was authored by the renowned taxonomist Carl Linnaeus and first described in his seminal work “Species Plantarum” published in 1753.

Least pepperwort is geographically widespread, ranging from Canada down through Central America, and extending into the Caribbean. This distribution demonstrates its adaptability to a variety of climates and soil conditions, indicating a high degree of ecological versatility.

This annual or biennial herb is characterized by its slender, erect stems and small, white flowers. The leaves are generally lanceolate, with a unique peppery taste that has made this plant an intriguing component of various traditional dishes and herbal remedies. Its seeds, housed in small, pod-like structures, contribute to its prolific nature and widespread occurrence.

Given its extensive range and robust adaptability, Least pepperwort represents a significant species within the Brassicaceae family, contributing to both ecological diversity and human culinary practices.

Common Names

Nld: amerikaanse kruidkers
Isl: hæruburst
Swe: kapmossa, kvastmossa, mossbräken, virginiakrassing, virginiankrassi
Eng: least pepperwort, peppergrass, poor-man’s-pepper, poorman pepperweed, poorman’s pepper, poorman’s pepperwort, virginia cress, virginia pepper cress, virginia pepperweed, virginian peppercress, poor-man’s peppergrass, poor-man’s pepper
Ita: lepidio della virginia
Fra: passerage de virginie, lépidie de virginie
Pol: pieprzyca wirgińska
Dan: smalbladet plydsmos, stor andemadsbregne, virginsk karse
Deu: texas-kresse, virginische kresse
Lav: virdžīnijas cietķērsa
Lit: virgininė pipirnė
Por: mastruz, mastruço, mentrusto, mentruz
Est: virgiinia kress
Hun: virginiai zsázsa
Nob: virginiakarse
Nno: virginiakarse
Fin: virginiankrassi
Ces: řeřicha virginská, žerucha virgínska
En: Least pepperwort, Peppergrass, Poor-man’s-pepper, Virginia cress, Virginia pepper cress, Virginia pepperweed, Poorman’s-Pepperwort, Poorman pepperweed, Poor Man’s Pepper, Virginia Peppergrass, Virginian peppercress, Poorman’s pepper, Poorman’s pepperwort, Poor-man’s peppergrass, Poor-man’s pepper, Wild Pepper-grass, Common Peppergrass, Poor-man’s Pepper-grass, Poor-man’s pepperweed
Ca: Morritort de Virgínia
Zh: 北美独行菜, 獨行菜
Cs: Řeřicha virginská, Žerucha virgínska
Da: Smalbladet plydsmos, Stor andemadsbregne, Virginsk karse
Nl: Amerikaanse kruidkers
Et: Virgiinia kress
Fi: Virginiankrassi
Fr: Passerage de Virginie, Lépidie de Virginie, Cresson sauvage, Cresson savane
De: Virginische Kresse, Texas-Kresse, Amerikanische Kresse
Hi: तोदरी
Hu: Virginiai zsázsa
Is: Hæruburst
It: Lepidio della Virginia
Ko: 콩다닥냉이
Lv: Virdžīnijas cietķērsa
Lt: Virgininė pipirnė
Nb: Virginiakarse
Nn: Virginiakarse
Pl: Pieprzyca wirgińska
Pt: Mastruz, Mastruço, Mentrusto, Mentruz
Pt-br: Menstruz, Mastruço, Mastruz
Es: Cresón, Mancuerno, Escobilla, Perejil de la Tierra
Sv: Virginiakrassing, Kapmossa, Kvastmossa, Mossbräken, Virginiankrassi
Zh-tw: 北美獨行菜
To: Momili
Zh-hant: 北美獨行菜
Cy: Pupurlys bach, Pupurlys Lleiaf

Synonyms

• Crucifera virginica ((L.) E.H.L.Krause)
• Iberis virginica ((L.) Fisch. & C.A.Mey.)
• Nasturtiastrum virginicum ((L.) Gillet & Magne)
• Dileptium virginicum ((L.) Raf.)
• Nasturtium virginicum ((L.) Kuntze)
• Thlaspi virginicum ((L.) Cav.)

Distribution

• Alabama (native)
• Arizona (native)
• Arkansas (native)
• Bahamas (native)
• Belize (native)
• British Columbia (native)
• California (native)
• Cayman Is. (native)
• Colorado (native)
• Connecticut (native)
• Costa Rica (native)
• Cuba (native)
• Delaware (native)
• District of Columbia (native)
• Dominican Republic (native)
• El Salvador (native)
• Florida (native)
• Georgia (native)
• Guatemala (native)
• Haiti (native)
• Honduras (native)
• Idaho (native)
• Illinois (native)
• Indiana (native)
• Iowa (native)
• Jamaica (native)
• Kansas (native)
• Kentucky (native)
• Leeward Is. (native)
• Louisiana (native)
• Maine (native)
• Maryland (native)
• Masachusettes (native)
• Mexico Central (native)
• Mexico Gulf (native)
• Mexico Northeast (native)
• Mexico Northwest (native)
• Mexico Southeast (native)
• Mexico Southwest (native)
• Michigan (native)
• Minnesota (native)
• Mississippi (native)
• Missouri (native)
• Montana (native)
• Nebraska (native)
• Nevada (native)
• New Hampshire (native)
• New Jersey (native)
• New Mexico (native)
• New York (native)
• Newfoundland (native)
• North Carolina (native)
• Nova Scotia (native)
• Ohio (native)
• Oklahoma (native)
• Ontario (native)
• Oregon (native)
• Panamá (native)
• Pennsylvania (native)
• Prince Edward I. (native)
• Puerto Rico (native)
• Québec (native)
• Rhode I. (native)
• South Carolina (native)
• Tennessee (native)
• Texas (native)
• Trinidad-Tobago (native)
• Utah (native)
• Venezuelan Antilles (native)
• Vermont (native)
• Virginia (native)
• Washington (native)
• West Virginia (native)
• Windward Is. (native)
• Wisconsin (native)
• Wyoming (native)
• Albania (introduced)
• Algeria (introduced)
• Argentina Northwest (introduced)
• Austria (introduced)
• Azores (introduced)
• Baltic States (introduced)
• Belgium (introduced)
• Bermuda (introduced)
• Bolivia (introduced)
• Brazil Northeast (introduced)
• Brazil South (introduced)
• Brazil Southeast (introduced)
• Brazil West-Central (introduced)
• Canary Is. (introduced)
• Cape Provinces (introduced)
• Caroline Is. (introduced)
• China North-Central (introduced)
• China South-Central (introduced)
• China Southeast (introduced)
• Cocos (Keeling) Is. (introduced)
• Colombia (introduced)
• Cook Is. (introduced)
• Czechoslovakia (introduced)
• Denmark (introduced)
• Desventurados Is. (introduced)
• East Himalaya (introduced)
• Ecuador (introduced)
• Eritrea (introduced)
• Ethiopia (introduced)
• Finland (introduced)
• France (introduced)
• French Guiana (introduced)
• Galápagos (introduced)
• Germany (introduced)
• Great Britain (introduced)
• Greece (introduced)
• Hawaii (introduced)
• Hungary (introduced)
• Ireland (introduced)
• Italy (introduced)
• Jawa (introduced)
• Korea (introduced)
• Kriti (introduced)
• Krym (introduced)
• KwaZulu-Natal (introduced)
• Madeira (introduced)
• Manchuria (introduced)
• Marcus I. (introduced)
• Marianas (introduced)
• Marquesas (introduced)
• Morocco (introduced)
• Netherlands (introduced)
• New Caledonia (introduced)
• New South Wales (introduced)
• Niue (introduced)
• Northern Provinces (introduced)
• Norway (introduced)
• Ogasawara-shoto (introduced)
• Pakistan (introduced)
• Paraguay (introduced)
• Peru (introduced)
• Philippines (introduced)
• Poland (introduced)
• Portugal (introduced)
• Primorye (introduced)
• Queensland (introduced)
• Romania (introduced)
• Saudi Arabia (introduced)
• Sicilia (introduced)
• Spain (introduced)
• Suriname (introduced)
• Sweden (introduced)
• Switzerland (introduced)
• Taiwan (introduced)
• Tonga (introduced)
• Transcaucasus (introduced)
• Turkey (introduced)
• Ukraine (introduced)
• Venezuela (introduced)
• Victoria (introduced)
• West Himalaya (introduced)
• Yugoslavia (introduced)

Additional Images

Leaf

Taken Jun 12, 2021 by heather moore (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 4, 2021 by William Coville (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 11, 2022 by Rosalyn Jones (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 10, 2022 by William Coville (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 10, 2021 by Rivera (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Taken Aug 3, 2021 by Krzysztof Golucki (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 22, 2021 by Bénard Tremblay Milo (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 10, 2022 by William Coville (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 9, 2018 by Heinz Gass (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 29, 2021 by Nicole Morrow (cc-by-sa)

Habit

Taken Jun 19, 2022 by Денис (cc-by-sa)

Taken May 17, 2019 by Bruce Winter (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 12, 2013 by Tela Botanica − Jean-Jacques HOUDRÉ (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 22, 2021 by Bénard Tremblay Milo (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 10, 2022 by William Coville (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Taken Oct 23, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Yoan MARTIN (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 23, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Yoan MARTIN (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 24, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Daniel CAHEN (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 18, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Martin KOPF (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 22, 2021 by Bénard Tremblay Milo (cc-by-sa)

Other

Taken Jun 3, 2013 by Tela Botanica − Bertrand BUI (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 11, 2008 by Tela Botanica − Mathieu MENAND (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 15, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Liliane ROUBAUDI (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 15, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Liliane ROUBAUDI (cc-by-sa)

Taken May 4, 2012 by Tela Botanica − Bertrand BUI (cc-by-sa)

Bark

Taken Jun 12, 2019 by ine Reynders (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 30, 2014 by EOL − CH Hemphill (cc-by-nc)

Taken Jun 3, 2013 by Tela Botanica − Bertrand BUI (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 14, 2018 by Sandy Rowley (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 12, 2021 by Andre Corso (cc-by-sa)

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Sources

• WFO (No URL)
• IPNI (No URL)
• POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:138164-2)
• GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/5376648)
• PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Lepidium virginicum L.)

Specifications

Growth habit: Forb/herb

Growth

Ph maximum: 7.0

Ph minimum: 6.5

Light: 8

Atmospheric humidity: 4

Bloom months: [‘may’, ‘jun’, ‘jul’, ‘aug’]

Soil nutriments: 6