Lepidium desvauxii
Common names
bushy peppercress, narrow-leaved cress
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Simplified description
Shrubby, tap-rooted, leafy perennial. All parts strongly smelling of cress if crushed. Leaves and stems bearing distinctive triangular hairs (denticles) on their margins and branch angles. Inflorescences numerous, often intertangled (divaricating). Flowers with minute white petals scarcely exceeding sepals. Stamens 2. Silicles dark maroon to green-brown, apically notched. Hairs on inflorescences and pedicels pointing toward axis (retrorse).
Flower colours
White
Detailed description
Perennial herb with stout, woody tap root. All parts smell strongly of cress when bruised. Stems erect to decumbent 20-45 cm tall, branches leaf-opposed, spreading, ridged, usually covered in short, back-ward pointing hairs. Basal leaves withering at fruiting, narrow oblanceolate, pinnate, 6-12 × 1.5-2.5 cm, hairless or sparsely bristly, margins with triangular or 2-lobed teeth, pinnae 5-8 pairs, toothed, especially toward apices. Stem leaves becoming simple, bristly, margins with small triangular or 2-lobed teeth, middle leaves narrow-oblanceolate, toothed 1.5-3 × 0.5-1.5 cm, upper leaves narrow-oblong, toothed or 3-fid at apex, 5-15 × 2-4 mm. Inflorescences in racemes 5-10 cm long, stems and flower stalks bristly hairy, always held above surrounding foliage, and never leaf-opposed. Sepals > petals, purplish with toothed margins, petals white < sepals. Stamens 2. Seed brown, narrow-ovoid, not winged, c.1.5 mm long.
Similar taxa
Distinguished from other indigenous Lepidium species (except L. naufragorum, and L. limenophylax) by having 2 instead of 4 stamens. From other naturalised species it is distinguished by fruit size, shape, and by upper leaves possessing small, fleshy, marginal teeth which are often paired from a common base. Confused with the native L. flexicaule which has 4 stamens, and the inflorescences are leaf-opposed, and so always buried within foliage of fruiting stems.
Distribution
Uncertain. Some populations may be indigenous while others are almost certainly introduced. Definitely indigenous to Australia. In New Zealand known from one site in the North Island (Motuihe Island - supported by herbarium evidence), and throughout the South, Stewart and Chatham Islands.
Habitat
A pepper-cress of primarily coastal habitats where it may grow in turf, on cliff faces, in sand, along stream banks or boulder field. It has also been collected as a roadside weed well inland in parts of the South Island.
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Threats
Seems to be represented in New Zealand by indigenous and naturalised populations. In indigenous coastal habitats remote from human settlements, it is generally scarce, and found where many of threats known to affect other indigenous Lepidium species are active. It does tolerate more stress than other indigenous Lepidium species. In other parts of the country the species is very weedy, and like many of the other introduced Lepidium species, common. It may well be that we do have truly indigenous populations but some method is needed to discriminate these from introduced populations.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
None
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
Flowers can be present throughout the year
Fruiting
Fruit can be present throughout the year
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed. Inclined to become an aggressive weed in cultivation.
Other information
Etymology
lepidium: Scale-shaped (pods)
desvauxii: After Desvaux
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
LEPDES
Previous conservation statuses
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
2004 | Data Deficient
Regional conservation statuses
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Regional conservation status of indigenous vascular plants in Otago” Jarvie S et al. (2024) report.
Otago: 2024 | Regionally Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange for NZPCN (1 June 2013)
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Lepidium desvauxii Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/lepidium-desvauxii/ (Date website was queried)