Hoary cress (Lepidium draba)

Image: © Evelyn Simak Taken: 24 Jul 2017

This sub-species draba was first recorded in 1829 after having been introduced into Swansea and several other ports in 1802. It was also introduced into Britain as seeds in the hay-filled mattresses of soldiers returning from the Walcheren expedition in 1809, when the hay was ploughed-in by a farmer on the Isle of Thanet. It was still rare and local in 1860 but gradually spread further afield. By 1887 it had spread to other areas in southern Britain, the eastern counties and Wales and by 1925 was considered a serious weed in Hertfordshire. Today it is widespread throughout the UK, most abundant in the south and east. Due to the introduction of several different clones the plant is very variable and plants exhibit some variation it leaf shape.

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