HOARY CRESS

Lepidium Draba

Cabbage Family [Brassicaceae]  

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flower
flower8white		 inner
inner8cream		 morph
morph8actino		 petals
petalsZ4		 type
typeZclustered		 stem
stem8round

3rd June 2010, Sandy Gap, Walney, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Spreads across disturbed land in huge swathes further than the camera can capture.


3rd June 2010, Sandy Gap, Walney, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
The top of the infestation has a greeny-white foamy texture due to the sheer profusion of flowers.


3rd June 2010, Sandy Gap, Walney, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Has large toothed leaves scattered sparsely and singly on alternate sides of the stem. Some have a satin sheen.


3rd June 2010, Sandy Gap, Walney, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Multiply branched near the top culminating in a profusion of white flowers with five anthers sticking proud. The glaucous slightly downy leaves (glossy when the down is lost on older leaves) clasp the stem with two auricles.


3rd June 2010, Sandy Gap, Walney, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Flowers white with four petals and five anthers. Un-opened buds are creamy green.


3rd June 2010, Sandy Gap, Walney, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Stems are slightly downy-hairy (hoary).


3rd June 2010, Sandy Gap, Walney, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Flowers have four white petals, five anthers tipped by greenish grey pollen, and a central creamy-green bulge destined to contain the seeds.


3rd June 2010, Sandy Gap, Walney, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Leaves and stems hoary. Greyish green leaves, convex broad, lanceolate, many (but not all) with coarse irregular teeth. The auricle clasps the stem on eaither side.

Not to be confused with : Hairy Bittercress [a plant of similar name, and in the same Cabbage Family]

Hoary Cress is a Pepperwort (Lepidium), on of a few that do not have the word 'Pepperwort' in their common name.

Two sub-species exist: Lepidium draba subsp. chalapense and Lepidium draba subsp. draba, both having the same common name as this, namely Hoary Cress. Subspecies chalapense is much less widespread; subspecies draba is mainly in southern England.

Some similarities to : Dittander, but that has leaves with fine teeth that are on short stalks and which do not clasp the stem.

This is an introduced species, which was introduced long ago. It occupies disturbed land and also grows along railways and roadsides.

ANY TEXT GOES HERE

Distribution
family8Cabbage family8Brassicaceae
BSBI maps
genus8Lepidium
Lepidium

HOARY CRESS

Lepidium Draba

Cabbage Family [Brassicaceae]