[Peppergrasses, Pepperweeds, Pepperworts and White Tops: The Genus Lepidium East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Clasping Peppergrass, Clasping Pepperweed, Clasping Pepperwort, Round-leaved Peppergrass, Yellow-flowered Peppergrass

Lepidium perfoliatum

Synonym: Nasturtium perfoliatum

The photo above shows a close-up of the inflorescence of clasping pepperweed as seen near the Odessa Craters near Odessa, WA.........April 28, 2007.

Clasping upper stem leaf of Clasping Peppergrass, Clasping Pepperweed, Clasping Pepperwort, Round-leaved Peppergrass, Yellow-flowered Peppergrass: Lepidium perfoliatum (Synonym: Nasturtium perfoliatum)

The photo at right shows a close-up of the perfoliate stem leaf of clasping pepperweed as seen near the Odessa Craters near Odessa, WA........April 28, 2007.

Characteristics:

Clasping pepperweed is an easy to identify weed due to the heart-shaped, clasping leaves found on its stems. It is a winter annual or annual, with erect stems branching near the top. The stems range from 20-60 cm in height. The stem has two sets of leaves, with the lower ones dissected (bi- or tri- pinnatifid) and from 2-15 cm long while the upper ones are heart-shaped with clasping bases measuring from 3-30 mm long.

The flowers are white or yellow in dense racemes. The petals are about 1.5 mm long and have a narrow spatulate limb. The oval sepals are 1 mm long. The pedicels range from 2-5 mm long. The seed capsules are rhombic-ovate to orbicular silicles about 4 mm long and about 4 mm wide.

Habitat:

Clasping pepperweed is a weedy species of disturbed, open areas such as grain fields, pastures, waste areas, and roadsides.

Range:

Although it is a native of Europe, clasping pepperweed has become well established in much of the western United States.

The photo above shows clasping pepperweed as seen near the Odessa Craters near Odessa, WA.........April 28, 2007. Note that the basal leaves and lower stem leaves are pinnately compound while those on the upper stems are simple with clasping bases.

Clasping pepperweed as seen at Camp Hancock in central Oregon........May 15, 2010.

Clasping Peppergrass, Clasping Pepperweed, Clasping Pepperwort, Round-leaved Peppergrass, Yellow-flowered Peppergrass: Lepidium perfoliatum (Synonym: Nasturtium perfoliatum)

Clasping pepperweed from the Painted Hills Unit, John Day Fossil Beds N.M.......May 24, 1998.

The photo above shows clasping pepperweed from the road to Blue Sky, Hart Mt. National Antelope Preserve........June 29, 1997.

Paul Slichter