Lepidium nitidum
| Lepidium nitidum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Lepidium nitidum (common name: shining pepperweed)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Germination should take place within 3 weeks.
Cultivation: We have almost no information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors at least in the milder parts of the country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Succeeds in most soils.
Range: Western N. America - Washington to California.
Habitat: Open places below 900 metres in California[1].
Edibility: Young leaves and flowering tops - raw or cooked[2][3][4]. A hot cress-like flavour, they can be cooked and used as greens[5].
Seed[3][5]. Used as a flavouring[4].
Usage: A decoction of the plant has been used as a hair wash to keep the scalp clean and prevent baldness[5].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ Munz, David. A California Flora. University of California Press, 1959.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.