Common peppercress, Pepperweed
Lepidium africanum

Family: Brassicaceae

What it is like

A cabbage family herb which re-grows each year from seed or can take 2 years to complete its life cycle. It can be 75-100 cm high. It branches in the upper part. It is a spreading plant with fine hairs. The stems are erect. The leaf blades are narrow and sword shaped. The leaves are sword shaped and 1-2 mm wide. They do not have stalks. They are in rings. They can have teeth. The leaves on the stem reduce in size up the stem. The flowers are green to purple. They are in groups in the axils of leaves or at the ends of branches. The flower cluster is dense. The petals are thread like and shorter than the sepals. The fruiting cluster are on stalked branches ripening from the bottom up. The stalks are 2-3 mm long. They are finely hairy. The fruit are small light brown pods. The pods are short and 2-3 mm long by 1.5-2 mm wide. There can be slight wings at the end. They have 2 seeds. The seeds are oval and 1-1.25 cm long.

There are about 180 Lepidium species.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in hot arid areas that have a marked dry season. The dry season can be 6-11 months. It needs well-drained soils and grow in stony and sandy soils. It grows between 400-1,700 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places. It will grow in most freely draining soils. It can grow in sunny or lightly shaded locations. Tasmania Herbarium.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Australia, East Africa, Eswatini, Hawaii, Lord Howe Island, Mozambique, Namibia, Pacific, South Africa, Southern Africa, St Helena, Swaziland, Tasmania

How it is used for food

The leaves are eaten as a spinach. The green seed is used as a spice.

Edible parts

Leaves, seeds - spice

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Dittander, Pepper grass, Pepperwort, Peppercress, Soft peppercress

Synonyms

Lepidium africanum subsp. africanum DC.; Lepidium africanum subsp. divaricatum (Aiton) Jonsell; Lepidium ambiguum F. Muell.; Lepidium capense; ? Lepidium divaricatum Aiton; Lepidium dubium Thell.; Lepidium hyssopifolium Desv.; Lepidium schlechteri Thell.; Lepidium tasmanicum Thell. Nasturtium divaricatum (Aiton) Kuntze; Thlapsi africanum Burm.f.; Thlaspi divaricatum (Aiton) Poir.;