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  4. Lepidium sisymbrioides

Lepidium sisymbrioides

Gard Road Waitaki Valley.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Nevis Bluff. Mar 1995.<br>Photographer: David A. Norton, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Flowering plant.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Flowering plant.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Gard Road Waitaki Valley.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Gard Road Waitaki Valley.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Slapjack Creek, Kawerau Gorge.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Lepidium sisymbrioides.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
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Synonyms

Lepidium sisymbrioides Hook.f. subsp. sisymbrioides, Lepidium kawarau Petrie. Lepidium sisymbrioides subsp. ovatum Thell., L. kawarau var. dubium Kirk

Family

Brassicaceae

Authority

Lepidium sisymbrioides Hook.f.

Flora category

Vascular – Native

Endemic taxon

Yes

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Structural class

Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites

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.

LEPSIS

Chromosome number

2n = 56

Current conservation status

  • Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017

The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley.

2018 | Threatened – Nationally Critical

Previous conservation statuses

2012 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: DP

2009 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: DP, Sp

2004 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered

Distribution

Endemic to S. Island. N. and Central Otago. Known in north Otago from S side of upper Waitaki, and from Central Otago near Falls Dam in upper Manuherika Gorge and from the Kawarau Gorge near Cromwell.

Habitat

Schist and limestone outcrops and cliff faces. Also on sparsely vegetated clay pan and salt licks overlying limestone talus and semi-saline soils

Features

Perennial dioecious herb, with up to 15 compact, leafy rosettes. Rootstock deep rooted, up to 20 mm diam. near crown; stems spreading to erect, up to 25 mm long and 6.0 mm wide. Basal and lower stem leaves persistent, pinnatifid, pinnate, to bipinnatifid, narrow-oblong to oblong, up to 120(–190) mm long, green or green-brown, central part of lamina 1.0–3.4 mm wide; pinnae in 6–25 pairs, linear to lanceolate, usually recurved, with 1–6 secondary pinnae, terminal pinnae 7.8–30.0 × 0.9–2.9 mm, lateral pinnae 8.0–28.9 x 0.8–2.7 mm. Middle stem leaves similar, often becoming shallowly pinnatifid, serrate, or entire. Cauline leaves 8.3–25.6 x 1.6–6.2 mm, with up to 8 narrow or small lobes, or entire. Inflorescences terminal, 2–40 cm long, 1.0–5.6 mm diam. at base, usually ascending or erect, sometimes spreading, with up to 12 lateral branches, glabrous to sparsely hairy; pedicels 2.7– 6.4 mm long, 0.25–0.35 mm wide, slightly recurved, adaxial surface glabrous to moderately hairy, abaxial surface glabrous. Flowers up to 4 mm wide. Sepals 0.7–1.0 x 0.6–1.6 mm, green to maroon, glabrous to sparsely hairy, sometimes moderately hairy, margins scarious, apex obtuse. Petals present or absent, when present spreading and clawed, white, limb obovate, apex obtuse to emarginate; males: 1.5–2.2 mm long; females 1.2–1.5 mm long. Female flowers: ovary 1.0–2.7 x 0.8–1.9 mm, ovate, orbicular, to rhomboid, glabrous to sparsely hairy, sometimes moderately hairy; style 0.1–1.1 mm long; stigma 0.2–0.4 mm wide; 4–7 staminodes, 0.6–1.4 mm long. Male flowers: 4–6 stamens, 1.6–3.0 mm long, white; anthers 0.3–0.4 mm long, white or maroon; ovary rudimentary, 0.2–0.9 x 0.3–0.9 mm. Nectaries 0.2–0.6 mm long, oblong, green to green-red. Siliques 3.5–5.0 x 1.9–4.6 mm, usually ovate to rhomboid, sometimes orbicular, suture usually maroon, apex emarginate to retuse, style base often persistent. Seed usually obovate, rarely obovate-oblong, straighter along one margin, compressed but with broad rounded margins, 1.5–2.5 mm long, not winged; both surfaces with a distinct groove from hilum at base towards apex, and the seed folded around it; apex broad and rounded; base cuneate or slightly rounded. Testa dull, orange or orange-brown to dark henna, with a fine reticulum of very thick walled cells.

Similar taxa

Distinguished from L. solandri by longer, narrower cauline leaves, longer terminal and primary pinnae with more frequent secondary lobing; less hairy sepals and ovaries; narrower ovaries; shorter stamen filaments; and ecology.

Flower colours

Red/Pink, White

Fruiting

December to March

Life cycle

Mucilaginous seeds are dispersed by attachment and possibly wind and water (Thorsen et al., 2009).

Propagation technique

Easily grown from fresh seed. Dislikes excessive moisture and humidity.

Threats

Less than 800 plants are known in the wild. Few sites on protected land. At all sites threatened by weed competition, animal browsing, and for most sites changes in land-use management.

Etymology

lepidium: Scale-shaped (pods)

Where To Buy

Not commercially available.

Taxanomic notes

One of only two dioecious Lepidiuim taxa in the world.

Attribution

Description from: Heenan, P.B.; Mitchell, A.D.; McLenachan, P.A.; Lockhart, P.J.; de Lange, P.J. 2007: Natural variation and conservation of Lepidium sisymbrioides Hook.f. and L. solandri Kirk (Brassicaceae) in South Island, New Zealand, based on morphological and DNA sequence data. New Zealand Journal of Botany 45: 237-264.

References and further reading

Allen, R.B. 200. Inland Lepidium recovery plan 200-2019. Threatened Species Recovery Plan 32. Department of Conservation

Heenan, P.B.; Mitchell, A.D.; McLenachan, P.A.; Lockhart, P.J.; de Lange, P.J. 2007: Natural variation and conservation of Lepidium sisymbrioides Hook.f. and L. solandri Kirk (Brassicaceae) in South Island, New Zealand, based on morphological and DNA sequence data. New Zealand Journal of Botany 45: 237-264.

Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285-309

Citation

Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Lepidium sisymbrioides Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/lepidium-sisymbrioides/ (Date website was queried)

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