broadleaved pepperweed

Lepidium latifolium normally grows to 30–100 cm (12–39 in), but may grow as tall as 2 m (6.6 ft). It has numerous woody stems, alternating waxy leaves and clusters of small white flowers. It produces small (1.6 mm) fruits which each contain two reddish seeds. It has an extensive root network, known to reach 9 ft (2.7 m) in depth, and constituting 40% of the total biomass of the plant.

This plant is native to southern Europe, Mediterranean countries and Asia as far east as the Himalayas. It is an introduced species in Australia and North America, growing throughout the United States and Mexico. It may have been introduced to the U.S. when its seed got into a shipment of sugar beet seeds.

The leaves, shoots, and fruits of this plant are all edible. In Ladakh in the Himalayas, the spring leaves are prized as a vegetable. The peppery edge or bitterness is removed by first boiling the young shoots and leaves, and then soaking in water for two days. Cooked like spinach, it makes a nutritious vegetable. The dried stems are sometimes used in flower arrangements.