Brassicaceae FAMILY

Lepidium virginicum

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Lepidium virginicum is an annual to biennial plant growing 20 - 70cm tall. The erect stem is usually only branched towards the top, but is sometimes many-branched[ 305 Title Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk Publication Author Website http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. Originally from N. America, Lepidium virginicum has become a naturalized weed in many areas from the temperate zone to the tropics[ 305 Title Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk Publication Author Website http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate; tropical

Native RangeN. America - British Columbia, then Ontario and Quebec, south through much of the USA and Mexico to Honduras

HabitatRoadsides, bottomlands, gravelly and sandy shores, waste grounds stream banks, grassy meadows, dry flats and stream beds, abandoned fields, woods, cliffs, plains, pastures, desert shrub communities, dry mountain slopes; at elevations to 2,600 metres[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ].