Online Flora of the Maltese Islands by Stephen Mifsud
 
     
   6 Aug 2026      ()
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Lepidium squamatum   (Swine Cress)


Lepidium squamatum  (BRASSICACEAE.) 
Images for this profile are taken from the Maltese Islands after year 2000.


Website launch: Oct-2002   Taxonomic update: Aug-2026    Code update: Jul-2026

Page Contents + Links

 
General Information Species Images
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Datasheet Publication: Nov-2007 (last update: Sep-2022)
Citation for this page Mifsud, S. (2007). Online Flora of the Maltese Islands (2002-2026): Lepidium squamatum - datasheet published on Nov-2007. Retrieved on 06-Aug-2026 from https://www.MaltaWildPlants.com/CRUC/#CRUC

Nomenclature and General Information

Species name :

Lepidium squamatum(L.) Al-Shehbaz
Published in Novon 14: 152 (2004)

Synonyms :
(basionym or principal syn.)

Cochlearia coronopus L.
Synonym that was used for long in Malta: Coronopus squamatus (Forrskål) Ascherson
Full list of synonyms : [Euro+Med] [WFO] [IPNI] [POWO] [Catalogue of Life] [Worldplants.de]

Plant Family :

Brassicaceae Juss. (The Mustard or Cress Family) Previously included in Cruciferae
47 species from the Brassicaceae family are recorded from the Maltese Islands.

English name(s) :

Swine Cress, Greater Swinecress

Maltese name(s) :

Koronopu

Status for Malta :

Indigenous. Present on the Maltese islands before man

Frequency :

Very Common     Common    Frequent     Scarce     Rare    Very rare    Extinct

Growth form :

Germination type [info]: Dicotyledon
Raunkiaer lifeform [info]: Therophyte ( annual plants, herbaceous, die after fruiting/seeding stage )

Legal Protection :

Not legally protected till the last update of this website (22/Aug/2025)

Red List (1989) :

Not listed in the Red Data Book of the Maltese Islands

Flowering Time :

February – June

Colour of Flowers:

Inconspicuous

Toxicity:

Not particularly toxic

Name Derivation :

Lepidium: ()
squamatum: ()

Planting in rural areas :

Can be planted in rural areas according to ERA Guidelines


Description, Habitat and Distribution
Botanical Description Procumbent annual or biennial up to 40 cm. Lower leaves pinnati-partite, the segments usually pinnatifid. Raceme usually crowded in fruit. Pedicels up to 2 mm. Petals 1-2 mm, longer than the sepals; fertile stamens 6. Silicula 2-3 x 3-4.5 mm, almost reniform, apiculate, strongly reticulate or ridged, or verrucose; style 0.3-0.5 mm.
Habitat in Europe Data will be available in the next update of this website.
Preferred habitat in Malta Data will be available in the next update of this website.
Chromosome number(s) 2n=32
Distributional range W., C. & S. Europe, northwards to c. 66° N. in Fennoscandia status uncertain in the northern part of its range.

Distributional maps from various sources
Occurrences in Europe
(from Flora Europaea till 1993)
All Europe except the Balaeric Islands, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Russia and former USSR,N C E Svalbard archipelago
Occurrences in Europe
(from Euro+Med Checklist till 2024)
  Country codes  
AE Ag Al Au(A) Az Be(B L) BH Bl(I M N) Br Bu Cg Co Cr Cs Ct Cy Da Eg Ga(F) Ge Gr Hb He Ho Hs(S) Hu IJ It Li Lu Ma Md(M P) Mk Mo Rm Sa Si(M S) Sl Sr Su Tn Tu(A E) Uk(K U) [Az(G M S T) Ca(C F T) Es Fe Hb(E) La Lt No Po Rf Sk]

Links & Further literature (0 papers)

Google Web

Google Images

Google Scholar

Research Gate

Wikipedia

JSTOR

GBIF

Med Checklist

Cat. of Life

EoL

IPNI

World Flora Online

Plants of the World Online

Vienna Virt. Herb.

RBGE Herbarium

KEW Herbarium

MNHN

Garden Database

IUCN

TROPICOS
Kindly Email if there are papers and publications about local studies or information about this species to be included in the list above.

Species Images (12 images)
   Lepidium squamatum   -   Image Code: LPDSQ-0.
   Lepidium squamatum   -   Image Code: LPDSQ-1.
   Lepidium squamatum   -   Image Code: LPDSQ-2.
   Lepidium squamatum   -   Image Code: LPDSQ-3.
   Lepidium squamatum   -   Image Code: LPDSQ-4.
   Lepidium squamatum   -   Image Code: LPDSQ-5.
   Lepidium squamatum   -   Image Code: LPDSQ-6.
   Lepidium squamatum   -   Image Code: LPDSQ-7.
   Lepidium squamatum   -   Image Code: LPDSQ-8.
   Lepidium squamatum   -   Image Code: LPDSQ-9.
   Lepidium squamatum   -   Image Code: LPDSQ-10.
   Lepidium squamatum   -   Image Code: LPDSQ-11.

Sales and Donations
Sales of seeds of wild plant from Malta:  Seeds of selected wild plant species may be available for academic studies, research purposes, or personal use. Please note that not all species can be supplied or exported. Availability is subject to seasonal seed production, stock levels, and applicable regulations, including Maltese legislation and CITES requirements where relevant. Protected and endemic species cannot be sold (at least without the relevant environmental permits).

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Contribute Information or Report Errors
Use this form to submit additional information about this species or to report any inaccuracies on this webpage. If the information you provide is sourced from a book, journal, website, or any other publication, rather then your own information or experience, then please include the relevant reference or web address whenever possible. Your email address will be used solely for internal communication and will not be shared. We greatly appreciate reports of: taxonomic updates;   species misidentifications;   incorrect or outdated information,   broken links,   technical website issues,   or any additional information specific to the plant in this webpage.

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Section A:  Additional Information about this plant species
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Section B:   Where have you seen this plant on the Maltese Islands?
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