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Photographer: Gary Fewless
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Family Brassicaceae
Lepidium virginicum L. var. virginicum
common peppergrass, poor-man's-pepper, Virginia pepper-weed
Lepidium: from the Greek lepidion, meaning "a little scale," in reference to the shape of the fruit pods
virginicum: of Virginia
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| Status: | Native |
| Plant: | erect, annual/biennial, 4"-20" tall forb |
| Flower: | white, 4-parted, petals about twice as long as the sepals; inflorescence many, to 4" long clusters (racemes) of stalked flowers; blooms May-July |
| Fruit: | broadly-elliptical pod widest below the middle and notched at the tip  |
| Leaf: | lower leaves sharply toothed to pinnately-divided; upper leaves not clasping |
| Habitat: | dry to moist; fields, roadsides, disturbed areas |
| (Glossary) |
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