Family
Brassicaceae
Synonyms
Cardaria chalepensis
Common Name
Lens-pod hoary cress
Regulation
Primary Noxious, Class 2 in the Canadian Weed Seeds Order, 2016 under the Seeds Act.
Distribution
Canadian: Occurs in AB, BC, MB, ON, SK (Brouillet et al. 2016Footnote 1).
Worldwide: Native to the Middle East and China and introduced in North America and Argentina (USDA-ARS 2016Footnote 2). In the United States it occurs in the west (Francis and Warwick 2008Footnote 3).
Duration of life cycle
Perennial
Seed or fruit type
Seed
Identification features
Size
- Seed length: 2.0 - 2.8 mm
- Seed width: 1.5 - 2.0 mm
- Seed thickness: 1.5 mm
Shape
- Seed oval, compressed, the hilum area is flattened
Surface Texture
- Seed granular
Colour
- Seed reddish-brown
Other Features
- Pods are globose, inflated, 2.5 - 6.0 mm long and 4.0 - 6.0 mm wide, usually hairy
- The seed is ovate in cross section, often with a small furrow between the radicle and cotyledons
Habitat and Crop Association
Cultivated fields, old fields, grasslands, pastures, feed lots, riparian areas, ditches, roadsides, railway lines and disturbed areas (Darbyshire 2003Footnote 4, Zouhar 2004Footnote 5, Francis and Warwick 2008Footnote 3). A weed of alfalfa fields and pastures in Canada (Francis and Warwick 2008Footnote 3).
General Information
Contaminated alfalfa seed or horse feed was the probable cause of lens-pod hoary cress seed introduction into North America (Francis and Warwick 2008Footnote 3).
Similar species
Globe-pod hoary cress (Lepidium appelianum)
- Globe-pod hoary cress seeds are a similar size, reddish-brown colour, rough surface and oval shape as lens-pod hoary cress.
- Globe-pod hoary cress seeds are oval-shaped in cross-section due to a larger radicle than lens-pod hoary cress.
Heart-pod hoary cress (Lepidium draba subsp. draba)
- Heart-pod hoary cress seeds are a similar size, roughened surface and oval shape as lens-pod hoary cress.
- Heart-pod hoary cress seeds are darker brown with surface reticulation.
Photos
Similar species
