Lepidium sativum
L., Sp. Pl. 644.1753; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India
1: 159. 1872.
Beng.: Halim; Eng.: Garden-cress, Curled-cress; Hindi: Halim; Mar.: Assalia; Nep.: Chum-sue; Raj.: Ahlya; Tam.: Aliverai; Tel.: Adalavithulu, Adeli.
Herbs, annual, up to 50 cm high; stems erect, unbranched, glabrous. Basal leaves long-petioled, irregularly pinnate or bipinnate or lyrate-lobate, with toothed obovate lobes, drying early; cauline leaves sessile, pinnate, less incised with oblong-linear segments, sparsely pubescent with simple hairs; upper leaves linear, entire. Flowers white or pinkish in elongating racemes; pedicels cylindrical, ascending or subappressed, up to 3.5 mm long in fruit, glabrous. Sepals 1.5 - 1.75 Petals spathulate, somewhat clawed, 2.5 - 2.75 mm long, sometimes reddish and distinctly veined. Fruits broadly elliptic to suborbicular silicula, narrowly winged at lower part and broadly winged at top, deeply notched at apex, 4.5 - 6 x 3.5 - 5 mm, glabrous; style short and included within the notch. Seeds ovoid, ca 3 x 1.5 mm, reddish brown; cotyledons incumbent, deeply trifid.
Fl. & Fr. Almost throughout the year.
Distrib. India: Cultivated and also found as an escape.
Introduced and naturalised, also cultivated throughout the world.
Notes. Used as pot herb; leaves are edible and used as salad.
Herbs, annual, up to 50 cm high; stems erect, unbranched, glabrous. Basal leaves long-petioled, irregularly pinnate or bipinnate or lyrate-lobate, with toothed obovate lobes, drying early; cauline leaves sessile, pinnate, less incised with oblong-linear segments, sparsely pubescent with simple hairs; upper leaves linear, entire. Flowers white or pinkish in elongating racemes; pedicels cylindrical, ascending or subappressed, up to 3.5 mm long in fruit, glabrous. Sepals 1.5 - 1.75 Petals spathulate, somewhat clawed, 2.5 - 2.75 mm long, sometimes reddish and distinctly veined. Fruits broadly elliptic to suborbicular silicula, narrowly winged at lower part and broadly winged at top, deeply notched at apex, 4.5 - 6 x 3.5 - 5 mm, glabrous; style short and included within the notch. Seeds ovoid, ca 3 x 1.5 mm, reddish brown; cotyledons incumbent, deeply trifid.
Fl. & Fr. Almost throughout the year.
Distrib. India: Cultivated and also found as an escape.
Introduced and naturalised, also cultivated throughout the world.
Notes. Used as pot herb; leaves are edible and used as salad.
