| Lepidium |
|
| Lepidium flavum |
|
| Scientific classification |
| Kingdom: |
Plantae |
| Clade: |
Tracheophytes |
| Clade: |
Angiosperms |
| Clade: |
Eudicots |
| Clade: |
Rosids |
| Order: |
Brassicales |
| Family: |
Brassicaceae |
| Genus: |
Lepidium
L. (1753) |
|
|
| Species |
|
265, see text |
| Synonyms |
- Carara Medik. (1792)
- Cardamon Fourr. (1868)
- Cardaria Desv. (1815)
- Cardiolepis Wallr. (1822)
- Coronopus Zinn (1757)
- Cotyliscus Desv. (1815)
- Cynocardamum Webb & Berthel. (1836)
- Cyphocardamum Hedge (1968)
- Dileptium Raf. (1817)
- Eudistemon Raf. (1830)
- Hymenophysa C.A.Mey. (1831)
- Iberis Hill (1756), nom. illeg.
- Jundzillia Andrz. ex DC. (1821), not validly publ.
- Lasioptera Andrz. ex DC. (1821)
- Lepia Desv. (1815)
- Lepicochlea Rojas (1918)
- Lepidiberis Fourr. (1868)
- Lepidion St.-Lag. (1880), orth. var.
- Lithodraba Boelcke (1951)
- Monoploca Bunge (1845)
- Nasturtiastrum Gillet & Magne (1863)
- Nasturtioides Medik. (1792)
- Nasturtiolum Medik. (1792)
- Nasturtium Mill. (1754), nom. rej.
- Neolepia W.A.Weber (1989)
- Papuzilla Ridl. (1916)
- Physolepidion Schrenk ex Fisch. & C.A.Mey. (1841)
- Semetum Raf. (1840)
- Senckenbergia G.Gaertn., B.Mey. & Scherb. (1800)
- Senebiera DC. (1799)
- Sennebiera Willd. (1809)
- Sprengeria Greene (1906)
- Stroganowia Kar. & Kir. (1841)
- Stubendorffia Schrenk ex Fisch. (1844)
- Uranodactylus Gilli (1959)
- Winklera Regel (1886)
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Lepidium is a genus of plants in the mustard/cabbage family, Brassicaceae. The genus is widely distributed in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia. It includes familiar species such as garden cress, maca, and dittander. General common names include peppercress, peppergrass, pepperweed, and pepperwort. Some species form tumbleweeds.
The genus name Lepidium is from Greek meaning 'small scale', which is thought to be derived from a folk medicine usage of the plant to treat leprosy, which cause small scales on the skin. Another meaning is related to the small scale-like fruit.