''Lepidium latifolium'', known by several common names including perennial pepperweed, broadleaved pepperweed, pepperwort, or peppergrass, dittander, dittany, and tall whitetop, is a perennial plant that is a member of the mustard and cabbage family.

Description

''Lepidium latifolium'' normally grows to , but may grow as tall as . It has numerous woody stems, alternating waxy leaves and clusters of small white flowers. It produces small (1.6 millimeter) fruits which each contain two reddish seeds. It has an extensive root network, known to reach in depth, and constituting 40% of the total

biomass Biomass is plant-based material used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Some people use the terms bi ...

of the plant.

Distribution

This plant is native to southern Europe, Mediterranean countries and Asia as far east as the Himalayas. It is an introduced species in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, where it grows throughout the United States and Mexico, and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. It may have been introduced to the United States when its seed got into a shipment of

sugar beet A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and which is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (''Beta vulgaris''). Together wi ...

seeds.

Invasive plant

The plant is most

invasive Invasive may refer to: *Invasive (medical) procedure *Invasive species *Invasive observation, especially in reference to surveillance *Invasively progressive spread of disease from one organ in the body to another, especially in reference to cancer ...

in wetland habitats, including riparian zones; from there it easily spreads to other ecosystems, such as sagebrush. It is perceived as a threat to salt marshes in southern New Hampshire, United States, prompting the Department of Environmental Services and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to look for it in the Hampton– Seabrook Estuary in 2008, where it is thought to have spread. The agencies were recruiting volunteers to help look for and properly remove it from this area. It is also a pest in the Monte Vista and Alamosa National Wildlife Refuges in Colorado and Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, and many other sites.

Uses

Edible uses

The leaves, shoots, and fruits of this plant are all edible. In Ladakh in the Himalayas, the spring leaves are prized as a vegetable. The peppery edge or bitterness is removed by first boiling the young shoots and leaves, and then soaking in water for two days. Cooked like spinach, it makes a nutritious vegetable.

Other uses

Dried stems of ''Lepidium latifolium'' are sometimes used in flower arrangements.

References

External links

Washington State Noxious Weed Control BoardJepson Manual TreatmentPhoto gallery
{{Taxonbar, from=Q32465 latifolium Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Flora of Lebanon