Bastard Cress

Lepidium campestre is a member of the Brassicaceae (mustard) family and is commonly found as an invasive weed in North America, despite being native to Europe. The plant typically grows as a biennial or annual, with a notable feature being the forked racemes of flowers that emerge from the stem. Initially, these racemes bear small white flowers, which later develop into green, flat, oval-shaped seedpods measuring approximately 6 mm in length and 4 mm in width. Each seedpod contains two brown seeds, each about 2.5 mm long. The species was first described in 1812 and is now distributed across multiple regions, including parts of Canada, the United States, and various countries in Europe, South America, and Africa.