Plants of
South Australia
Lepidium fasciculatum
Brassicaceae
Fascicled Peppercress,
Bundled Peppercress
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Regional Species Conservation Assessments per IBRA subregion.
Least concern
Near threatened
Rare
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critically endangered
Extinct
Data deficient
Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
Marree
Mount Gambier
Oodnadatta
Renmark
Wudinna
Keith
Yunta
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Prior names

Lepidium ruderale var. simplicissimum

Lepidium sagittulatum var. fasciculatum

Lepidium ruderale

Common names

Fascicled Peppercress

Bundled Peppercress

Etymology

Lepidium from the Greek 'lepis' meaning a scale; referring to the appearance of the fruits. Fasciculatum from the Latin 'fasciculus' meaning fascicle; referring to the clustered inflorescence.

Distribution and status

Found scattered across the central part of South Australia, growing in heavy clay depressions. Also found in Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Native. Common in South Australia. Rare in Western Australia. Uncommon in Victoria. Common in the other states.
Herbarium regions: Lake Eyre, Nullarbor, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Erect annual herb to 60cm tall, glabrous, sometimes pubescent when young. Leaves basal and alternating up the stems. Basal leaves to 8 cm long, hairy, divided, the segments linear and shaped like teeth, rarely persisting. Stem leaves to 6 cm long, with basal lobes, reducing to linear, hairless, with warty edges. Flowers small, green in dense clusters at the tops of the stems. Flowering between May and December. Fruits are orange-brown ovoid capsule to 4 mm long and 2 mm wide, glabrous, wing slight in the upper half, with a shallow notch. Seed embryo type is bent.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between August and February. Collect maturing pods those turning orange with hard seeds inside. Be gentle with the pods as they split open easily. Place the pods in a tray and cover with paper to prevent seeds from popping out and leave to dry for a week. Then rub the dried pods gently by hand to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate the unwanted material. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place.

Seeds stored:
  Hide
LocationNo. of seeds
(weight grams)		Number
of plants		Date
collected		Collection number
Collection location		Date
stored		% ViabilityStorage
temperature
BGA 
MSB		10,500 (2.89 g)
10,500 (2.89 g)		200+22-Oct-2008MJT157
Eastern		20-Jul-2009100%-18°C
Location: BGA — the seeds are stored at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, MSB — the seeds are stored at the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew, England.
Number of plants: This is the number of plants from which the seeds were collected.
Collection location: The Herbarium of South Australia's region name.
% Viability: Percentage of filled healthy seeds determined by a cut test or x-ray.
We acknowledge the contributions of the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre, the Botanic Gardens of South Australia, and the Department for Environment and Water.