Lepidium sativum
Enable an agent to recognize Lepidium sativum, assess its developmental and growing state, and choose evidence-supported cultivation, sampling, or harvest actions.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
recalled by Codex without web access - no source was read
Researched by: Codex
Purpose and description
Enable an agent to recognize Lepidium sativum, assess its developmental and growing state, and choose evidence-supported cultivation, sampling, or harvest actions.
Lepidium sativum L., commonly called garden cress, is an annual herb in the mustard family Brassicaceae cultivated for its pungent edible seedlings, leaves and seeds.
It can be Identify a candidate garden-cress plant using provenance and stage-appropriate botanical characters.; Sow a documented seed lot and measure germination under recorded conditions.; Track a cohort from cotyledon emergence through leaf development, flowering, and fruiting.; Adjust growing conditions using observed responses and an applicable cultivation protocol.; Select plants for leaf or shoot harvest, or retain them for identification and seed production.; Trace collected seeds, vouchers, and experimental samples back to their parent cohort..
Distinguishing features
Resolve the scientific name to Lepidium sativum L.; a cress label alone is insufficient. Kew accepts this species in Brassicaceae. [Kew Plants of the World Online](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A138141-2)
Use the combination of annual habit, divided lower leaves, and three-lobed cotyledons as identification evidence within Lepidium; do not accept any single character as decisive. [Flora of China identification key](https://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=118034)
Inspect mature fruits for an oblong-ovate to elliptic outline, broad marginal and apical wings, and an apical notch; Flora of China reports approximately 4-7 mm length and 3-5.5 mm width. [Flora of China](https://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200009589)
Where flowers are available, check developed white or lavender petals and six stamens as part of a regional identification key; these help distinguish garden cress from Lepidium taxa with reduced petals or fewer stamens. [Flora of North America](https://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200009589)
Scope
+ Species identification and differentiation from other plants sold as cress
+ Seed, seedling, vegetative, flowering, and fruiting stages
+ Cultivar or accession identity and seed-lot provenance
+ Growing conditions and observed responses of garden-cress cohorts
+ Propagation, harvest readiness, and retention for seed production
- Other Lepidium species and other plants called cress
- General Brassicaceae biology already owned by a broader organism model
- Commercial seed products, packaging, pricing, and supplier operations
- Harvested food products, recipes, and food-processing systems
- Medicinal preparations, clinical efficacy, and therapeutic dosing
- Cultivation equipment and laboratory assay protocols as independent things
Characteristics
- Identification confidence
- unverified label | provisional morphological match | verified against identification key | conflicting evidence Prevents ambiguous cress labels or immature plants from being treated as confirmed Lepidium sativum.
- Cultivar or accession
- Named cultivar or accession linked to supporting records; unknown permitted Allows leaf form and growth differences to be attributed to a documented lineage without splitting the registry species.
- Seed-lot origin
- Supplier or parent cohort, lot identifier, collection or purchase date, and treatment record Connects garden-cress cohorts to reproducible propagation material.
- Developmental stage
- dry seed | imbibed seed | germinating | cotyledon stage | true-leaf stage | flowering | fruiting | senescent Determines which identification characters and harvest or propagation actions are available.
- Lower-leaf division
- undivided | pinnatifid | pinnatisect | twice divided | indeterminate; record leaf position Supports identification while preserving developmental and cultivated variation.
- Mature fruit dimensions
- Length and width in mm, with maturity and sample count Provides measurable evidence for identification when seedlings or leaf forms are ambiguous.
- Observed germination fraction
- % of tested seeds meeting a stated germination criterion by a stated time Supports sowing decisions and comparison of garden-cress seed lots under recorded conditions.
- Growing conditions
- Temperature in °C, light duration in h/day, and substrate moisture using a stated method Makes growth and emergence observations interpretable without inventing universal cultivation targets.
- Cohort condition
- Record emergence uniformity, wilting, discoloration, collapse, and visible contamination separately Supports inspection and intervention without assigning an unverified cause.
- Intended endpoint
- young shoots | leaves | seed production | identification voucher | experimental observation Changes which developmental state counts as readiness and whether plants must remain unharvested.
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 6 bundles · 11 layers · 18 findings · 35 questions.
Garden cress identity Resolve the registered species and establish whether observed material belongs to it.
Common cress names and immature crop material can conceal a species mismatch.
Taxonomic anchor
Connect the registry entry to a documented taxonomic concept.
Accepted name and sense
Anchor this model to Lepidium sativum L., accepted by Kew, while treating common names and cultivar labels as evidence requiring resolution. [Kew Plants of the World Online](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A138141-2)
- Does the specimen or seed-lot record explicitly identify Lepidium sativum L., or only use a common name? definition
- Which taxonomic authority and dated record support the identification? provenance
Stage-specific diagnosis
Match identification evidence to the organs actually present.
Diagnostic character combination
Record cotyledon form, lower-leaf division, flowers, and mature fruit characters as a combined diagnosis; leave missing characters explicitly unobserved.
- Which cotyledon, leaf, flower, and fruit characters have actually been observed on this material? measurement
- Which alternative cress species remain plausible under the applicable regional identification key? boundary
- Should a representative plant be retained until flowering or fruiting to resolve the identification? action
Seed lot and establishment Connect garden-cress establishment to identifiable propagation material and measured germination.
An agent needs to distinguish seed-lot performance from effects of the sowing environment.
Propagation lineage
Preserve cultivar, accession, and parent-lot relationships.
Traceable cress seed
Associate each sowing with its seed lot, documented identity, storage history, and any declared treatment.
- Which lot, cultivar, accession, or parent plants supplied these garden-cress seeds? provenance
- What storage conditions and treatments are documented for the lot? provenance
Germination and emergence
Separate seed germination from successful emergence and subsequent survival.
Establishment performance
Record seed counts, germination criteria, emergence, elapsed time, and test conditions rather than assigning garden cress a fixed germination time.
- What fraction of the tested seeds germinated, and what observable criterion defined germination? measurement
- How many seedlings emerged and remained alive at each recorded observation time? measurement
- Does the evidence support sowing this lot, changing the establishment conditions, or repeating the test? action
Development and growing response Interpret garden-cress growth in relation to stage, cultivation conditions, and intended endpoint.
A cohort grown for young shoots requires different decisions from plants retained for mature diagnostic organs or seeds.
Developmental trajectory
Follow the transition from seedling organs to vegetative and reproductive growth.
Stage and endpoint
Record actual developmental events and relate them to the chosen endpoint instead of treating age alone as readiness.
- Are these plants at cotyledon, true-leaf, flowering, fruiting, or senescent stage? measurement
- Is this cohort intended for young shoots, leaves, mature identification, or seed production? definition
- Should the cohort be harvested now or retained to reach the required stage? action
Cultivation response
Connect observed garden-cress performance to the conditions under which it grew.
Conditions and symptoms
Record substrate, moisture, temperature, light, density, and visible symptoms; distinguish observed stress from a confirmed diagnosis.
- What temperature, light, substrate moisture, and sowing density accompanied the observed growth? measurement
- Are wilting, discoloration, uneven emergence, or seedling collapse localized or distributed across the cohort? measurement
- Which supported change in cultivation conditions should be tried, and what response would justify keeping it? action
Flowering, fruiting, and seed renewal Manage plants retained beyond leaf harvest and connect new seeds to their parent material.
Reproductive organs support species diagnosis, while seed renewal introduces lineage and maturity questions absent from shoot harvest.
Reproductive observations
Capture flowers and mature fruits needed for verification and seed-production decisions.
Flower and fruit evidence
Record flowering and fruiting dates together with petal development, stamen count, fruit dimensions, wings, and notch form.
- When did flowers and mature fruits first appear in this cohort? measurement
- Do the observed flowers and fruits support the provisional Lepidium sativum identification? boundary
Seed renewal integrity
Preserve evidence about parentage and collection conditions for the next sowing.
Collected seed lineage
Link collected seeds to parent plants, collection maturity, and reproductive context without assuming cultivar purity or a particular mating system.
- Which parent plants supplied the collected seeds, and what evidence established collection readiness? provenance
- What nearby flowering material and isolation measures were documented during seed production? provenance
- What identity and germination checks are needed before the collected lot is used again? action
Harvest and use boundaries Connect living garden cress to harvested material, vouchers, and experimental samples.
Biological identity must remain traceable across harvest, while product suitability and experimental conclusions require their own evidence.
Harvested organ and state
Specify what is removed from the plant and when the receiving product model takes ownership.
Harvest handoff
Record the harvested organ, developmental stage, cohort, and harvest event; transfer subsequent storage, preparation, and product-quality decisions to the relevant product model.
- Are the harvested materials young shoots, leaves, whole seedlings, or seeds, and at what stage were they collected? definition
- Which cohort and cultivation records accompany this harvest? provenance
- Which decisions now belong to the harvested-food or seed-product model? boundary
Voucher and assay material
Keep biological sample identity separate from claims made using that sample.
Sample-to-conclusion boundary
For garden cress used in identification collections or experiments, record material identity, stage, and preparation; let the linked protocol own experimental interpretation.
- Which voucher or seed-lot record supports the identity of the garden-cress sample? provenance
- What organ, developmental stage, and preparation were supplied to the collection or experiment? measurement
- Which conclusions depend on an assay or medicinal-preparation model rather than on species identity? boundary
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Check these first
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- This entry describes the species, not a particular cultivar, seed product or medicinal preparation.
- Leaf-form categories are horticultural groupings, not asserted formal botanical varieties.
- The height range is approximate and varies with cultivar and growing conditions; medicinal efficacy is not assessed here.
- Which of these check these first hold for the sense of Lepidium sativum this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Kinds and varieties
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Curly-leaved cultivars
- Broad-leaved cultivars
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of Lepidium sativum this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Botanical nomenclature - Lepidium sativum L. - The binomial identifies the species; L. is the standardized author abbreviation for Linnaeus.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of Lepidium sativum this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Young seedlings and leaves are eaten in salads, sandwiches and garnishes.
- Seeds are used as food ingredients, including in South Asian preparations.
- Rapidly germinating seeds are used in classroom plant-growth demonstrations.
- Seed germination and root growth are used as endpoints in phytotoxicity bioassays.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of Lepidium sativum this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Mature plant height - 20-60 - cm
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of Lepidium sativum this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Warm, humid seedling-production conditions can support microbial contamination; raw seedlings require hygienic handling.
- Damping-off can kill seedlings in persistently wet growing media.
- Water stress can reduce growth and the quality of harvested leaves.
- Bolting reduces suitability for tender-leaf production.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of Lepidium sativum this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- In parts of Europe, garden cress is commonly consumed as young seedlings.
- In South Asia, its seeds are also used as food and are known by names including halim and aliv.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of Lepidium sativum this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) - Watercress is a semiaquatic perennial in a different genus; garden cress is a terrestrial annual.
- Upland cress (Barbarea verna) - Upland cress belongs to Barbarea and is generally biennial; garden cress belongs to Lepidium and is annual.
- Lepidium - Lepidium is the containing genus; Lepidium sativum is one species within it.
- Garden cress microgreens - Microgreens are a harvested juvenile growth stage of the species, not a separate taxon.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of Lepidium sativum this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
What the second pass must settle
- Which regional identification keys and cultivar references reliably separate immature Lepidium sativum from other plants marketed as cress?
- What temperature, light, moisture, sowing-density, and timing ranges are supported for each intended endpoint and relevant cultivar?
- What mating-system evidence and isolation requirements are sufficient to maintain documented garden-cress cultivars during seed renewal?
- Which collection-maturity indicators, storage conditions, and viability tests are validated for the seed lots and environments being modeled?
- Does an existing Vercy world model already own Lepidium sativum or garden cress, requiring this registry entry to link to it instead of creating a second publication?