Lepidium appelianum
White-top, White-Top
(c) Tim Messick, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tim Messick · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Lepidium appelianum (White-top) is a non-native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by indehiscent spheric fruits, perennial habit, large white petals.
White-top is a naturalized perennial herb found in California in saline soils and fields at elevations of 400 to 2,400 meters. Flowering from April to September, this plant produces small white flowers in 2.8 to 4 millimeters wide, widely obovate clusters. Growing with erect or ascending stems 15 to 35 centimeters tall that are densely stiff-hairy and branched toward the top, it emerges with multiple stems from its base. Its leaves vary from obovate to oblanceolate at the base, transitioning to oblong or lanceolate along the stem, with bases that are sometimes lobed or clasping. The fruit is spheric and inflated, measuring 3 to 4.4 millimeters wide with thin, puberulent valve walls.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 25 sympatric species; key features are indehiscent spheric fruits, perennial habit, large white petals
Habitat and range
Habitat: Saline soils, fields
Elevation: 400-2400 m
California counties: Kern, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Tulare, San Bernardino, Inyo, Sierra, Nevada, Butte, Yolo, San Diego, Lassen, Stanislaus, Plumas, Mono, Placer, Solano, Modoc, Alpine, Sonoma, Shasta, Contra Costa, San Luis Obispo, Napa, Siskiyou, Orange
Outside California: to eastern North America, native to central Asia
Bloom period
Lepidium appelianum blooms Apr-Sep.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
How to tell it apart
vs Capsella: Small round-to-oval pods versus distinctive triangular heart-shaped pods.; vs Cotula: Mustard with seed pods and 4 petals versus composite with disk flowers only.; vs Soliva: Mustard with flattened seed pods versus composite with spiny achenes.; vs Thysanocarpus: Fruits stand upright or spread versus hanging downward in Thysanocarpus.; vs Lobularia: Flattened oval pods with 1-2 seeds versus inflated round pods with 2 seeds.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lepidium appelianum native to California?
No. Lepidium appelianum is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Lepidium appelianum bloom?
Lepidium appelianum blooms Apr-Sep.
Where in California does Lepidium appelianum grow?
Lepidium appelianum occurs in Kern, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Tulare, San Bernardino, Inyo, Sierra and other counties, at elevations of 400-2400 m.
What plant family does Lepidium appelianum belong to?
Lepidium appelianum is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Lepidium.
Is Lepidium appelianum invasive in California?
Lepidium appelianum is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.