The difference between Lepidium and Shepherd's Purse

1. Difference of blades

The basal leaves of Lepidium melongena are narrow spoon-shaped, deeply or shallowly pinnately lobed, about 3-5 cm long and 1-1.5 cm wide. The petiole is about 1-2 cm long. The leaves on the upper part of the stem are linear, entire or serrated. The basal leaves of shepherd's purse are rosette-shaped, with large pinnate-shaped divisions. They are relatively wider than the former, about 12 cm long and 2.5 cm wide. The top lobes are ovate and then oblong, and the side lobes are oblong and then ovate. The stem leaves are narrow lanceolate or lanceolate with a sagittal base and serrate margins.

2. The difference between flowers

The inflorescence of Lepidium melongena is a racemose inflorescence, which is about 5 cm long in the fruiting period. The sepals are ovate, fall off early, and have soft hairs on the outside. The petals will degenerate into filaments and are white in color. Shepherd's purse also has a raceme inflorescence, but it is much longer than the former, about 20 cm, with oblong sepals and ovate petals, also white.