Wandering Pepper Cress - profile

Indicative distribution

Loading map...

Key:

known

predicted

The areas shown in pink and/purple are the sub-regions where the species or community is known or predicted to occur. They may not occur thoughout the sub-region but may be restricted to certain areas. ( click here to see geographic restrictions). The information presented in this map is only indicative and may contain errors and omissions.

Scientific name: Lepidium peregrinum

Conservation status in NSW: Endangered

Commonwealth status: Endangered

Gazetted date: 07 Jul 2000

Profile last updated: 11 Oct 2022

Description

A spreading soft-stemmed perennial herb to sub-shrub 10 - 80 cm tall but sometimes ascending to 2 m in surrounding vegetation. At the base of the plant are divided leaves 15 cm long with the leaf edges fringed with eyelash-like hairs. The leaves higher up the stem are toothed, 2 - 6 cm long and 1 - 8 mm wide, with a pointed tip. The small flowers are less than 1 mm long, growing off a horizontal or drooping, hairy flowering stem.

Distribution

Thought to be extinct until recently rediscovered in NSW and Queensland. Targeted searches conducted in 2001 confirmed the species occurs in scattered refugia in north-eastern NSW (near Tenterfield) and south-eastern Queensland. The largest site containing most of the known Lepidium peregrinum population is in a designated Travelling Stock Reserve.

Habitat and ecology

Flowers from January to April.
The largest population of Wandering Pepper Cress occurs in an open riparian forest on the banks of the Tenterfield creek at Clifton. Sandy alluvium is the main soil type at the site.
Associated species at the Clifton site are dominated by Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Casuarina cunninghamiana, with a variably dense shrubby understorey of Hymenanthera dentata, Bursaria spinosa, Acacia fimbriata, Acacia floribunda, Callistemon viminalis and Leptospermum brachyandrum. Lepidium peregrinum was most abundant in the tussock grassland fringe of the riparian open forest, comprising Poa species, Lomandra longifolia and Paspalum dilatatum.
Initial studies of Lepidium peregrium subpopulations found some have little or no recruitment, while others have juvenile plants in the absence of mature plants. This may indicate the species requires specific triggers to break seed dormancy, and naturally experiences ‘boom and bust’ cycles in the number of mature plants. It is possible the species persists in some locations as dormant seed with no vegetative specimens being evident.
66 plants were counted within an area of about 1 hectare, growing on unreserved Crown Land at Clifton. The 2001 targeted surveys recorded a total of 192 mature plants and 123 juveniles (less than 12 months old), with zero recruitment (no juveniles) recorded at four sites and minimal recruitment (2-3 juveniles) at two sites.

Regional distribution and habitat

Click on a region below to view detailed distribution, habitat and vegetation information.

Nandewar

Threats

Populations are fragmented and generally very small, with recruitment spasmodic or limited.
Clearing of habitat for agriculture and grazing.
Grazing is considered to be a primary threat given that the species is palatable to rabbits and livestock.
Introduced weeds.
Destruction of plants following mis-identification as a more common pepper cress species.
Extended drought periods and other forms of land degradation.

Recovery strategies

Priority actions are the specific, practical things that must be done to recover a threatened species, population or ecological community. The Office of Environment and Heritage has identified 14 priority actions to help recover the Wandering Pepper Cress in New South Wales.

Activities to assist this species

Ensure familiarity with the species before undertaking works in areas of potential habitat.
Control feral rabbits and goats in areas of known and potential habitat.
Protect identified populations from grazing stock.
Provide stock watering points away from streams.
Manage weeds in areas of known and potential habitat.
Be careful with use of herbicides near areas of known habitat.
Rehabilitate and protect areas of disturbed habitat.
Survey for species in potential habitat and report any new locations to the DEC.

Information sources

Briggs, J.D. and Leigh, J.H. (1996) Rare or Threatened Australian Plants. Revised Edition. (CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne)
Harden, G.J. (ed.) (2000) Flora of New South Wales Vol. 1. UNSW Press, Kensington, NSW.
Hewson, H.J. (1981) The genus Lepidium L. (Brassicaceae) in Australia. Brunonia 4(2): 217-308.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (2003) Threatened Species of the New England Tablelands and North West Slopes of NSW. (NSW NPWS, Coffs Harbour)
NSW Scientific Committee (2000) Lepidium peregrinum (a herb) - Endangered species determination - final. DEC (NSW), Sydney.
Retter, L. and Harden, G.J. (1990) Lepidium. In Harden, G.J. (ed.) Flora of New South Wales. Volume 1. New South Wales University Press, Sydney.
Scarlett, N.H. (1999) The identity of Lepidium peregrinum (Brassicaceae), an endangered Australian plant species. Telopea 8(3): 337-350.
Scarlett, N.H. and Parsons, R.F. (1989) Needs in Taxonomic Research for the Effective Conservation of the Southern Australian Grassland Flora. In Hicks, M. and Eiser, P. (eds) The Conservation of Threatened Species and their Habitats. Occasional Paper No. 2 (Australian Committee for IUCN: Canberra), pp. 256-260.
Thellung, A. in Druce, G.C. (1913) Botanical Exchange Club of the British Isles 3: 153.
Threatened Species Scientific Committee (2005) Commonwealth Listing Advice on Lepidium peregrinum (a herb) (Department of the Environment and Heritage: Canberra).