Lesser Swine-Cress
ExplorePlants
Lesser Swine-Cress
lepidium didymum
The Lesser Swine-Cress is a small plant with delicate leaves and tiny white flowers. It's often found in gardens and fields, making it a fun plant for kids to discover!
Habitat: Lesser Swine-Cress commonly grows in gardens, fields, and disturbed areas.
Appearance
The Lesser Swine-Cress is a low-growing, sprawling plant with deeply lobed, often hairy leaves. Its tiny, inconspicuous greenish-white flowers form at the tips of stems. The most distinct feature is its small, flattened, kidney-shaped fruits that often grow in pairs.
KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderBrassicalesFamilyBrassicaceaeGenusLepidium
Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
0/5 · No known danger
Snaps
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Interesting facts
Despite being tiny, it's considered a hardy weed that can thrive in cracks of pavement!
If you crush its leaves, it releases a strange smell, sometimes described as old peanut butter!
Its unique fruit splits into two twin-like segments, giving it the scientific name 'didymum'!
Just one plant can produce hundreds of tiny seeds, helping it spread far and wide!
Special abilities
Ability
Twin Seed Pods
Lesser Swine-Cress has unique kidney-shaped fruits that split into two parts, helping it scatter seeds effectively.
Ability
Hardy Pioneer
Lesser Swine-Cress can thrive in compacted, disturbed soils where other plants struggle to grow.
Ability
Mustard Defense
Lesser Swine-Cress has special chemicals in its leaves that deter some hungry herbivores from eating it.
Measurements & details
- Height
- 5-30 cm
- Spread
- 5-20 cm
- Flower Size
- 0.1-0.2 cm
- Bloom Season
- Spring to Autumn
- Edible
- Yes
- Toxicity
- None
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Pollination Method
- Insect
Ecological connections
eaten by
Small White Butterfly
Pieris rapae
Its caterpillars munch on the leaves.
pollinates
Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
Honey bees visit its tiny flowers for nectar.
eaten by
European Rabbit
Oryctolagus cuniculus
Rabbits might graze on its low-growing foliage.
Traits
Colorful
Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
Grassland
Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
Herbivorous
This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
Diurnal
Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
Pollinator
Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.
Also known as
Ditch CressField CressSwine-Cress
Collections
Safety
Danger
0/5 · No known danger
No special safety notes yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is Lesser Swine-Cress?
5-30 cm
How wide does Lesser Swine-Cress spread?
5-20 cm
How big are the flowers on Lesser Swine-Cress?
0.1-0.2 cm
When does Lesser Swine-Cress bloom?
Spring to Autumn
Is Lesser Swine-Cress edible?
Yes
Is Lesser Swine-Cress toxic?
None
What is Lesser Swine-Cress's lifecycle?
Annual
How is Lesser Swine-Cress pollinated?
Insect
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