LEPIDIUM LATIFOLIUM

Family and Genus:- See- CRUCIFERAE/Sect. LEPIDIUM.

Common Names:- Dittander

Homotypic Synonyms:- Cardaria latifolia, Crucifera latifolia,

Lepidium latifolium subsp. eulatifolium, Nasturtiastrum latifolium,

Nasturtium latifolium.

Meaning:- Lepidium. Meaning unknown.

Latifolium (L) With broad leaves.

General description:- Perennial with a creeping rhizome.

Stems:-

1) 50-130 cm, erect, glabrous, much-branched above.

Leaves:-

1) Coriaceous.

2) Basal and lower cauline up to 30 cm, long-petiolate, ovate, toothed or sometimes

pinnatilobed, glabrous or sparsely hairy.

3) Upper, sessile, ovate to lanceolate, entire.

Flower:-

1) In a large, dense, pyramidal panicle.

2) Sepals, 0·9-1·5 mm, broadly white-margined.

3) Petals, 1·8-2·5 mm, up to twice as long as the sepals, with a rounded-obovate

limb.

4) Pedicels, 4-5 mm in fruit.

5) Style, c. 0·2 mm, with a capitate stigma.

6) Stamens 6.

Fruit:-

1) Silicula, 1·5-2·5 x c. 2 mm, elliptical to orbicular, not winged or notched.

Key features:-

1) Stem, glabrous.

2) Ripe silicula, smooth or faintly reticulate.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Coastal meadows and marshes, banks of watercourses, ruderal habitats.

0-600 m.

Distribution:- Throughout Greece. - Scattered and fairly rare, but perhaps under

recorded. - Widespread i Europe, SW Asia and N Africa. Very rare on Crete

currently known from only one location near Kalyves in the NW..

Flowering time:- May-July, occasionally later.

Photos by:- Courtesy of Wiki-Commons & Ori Fragman-Sapir Flora of Israel