Lepidium banksii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lepidium banksii |
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| Coastal peppercress | |
| Conservation status | |
 Nationally Critical (NZ TCS) |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Brassicales |
| Family: | Brassicaceae |
| Genus: | Lepidium |
| Species: |
L. banksii
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| Binomial name | |
| Lepidium banksii Kirk, 1899
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| Synonyms | |
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Lepidium forsteri |
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Coastal peppercress (Lepidium banksii) is a very rare flowering plant. It belongs to the Brassicaceae family, which also includes cabbages. This plant is special because it only grows in New Zealand. It used to be found along the coast of the northern South Island. Sadly, it is now critically endangered, meaning it's very close to disappearing forever.
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How We Found This Plant
Coastal peppercress was first collected a long time ago. In 1770, Captain James Cook found it in the Marlborough Sounds. He collected it to help treat scurvy. Scurvy is a sickness caused by not enough vitamin C. This plant, like its relative Lepidium oleraceum, is part of the cabbage family. Both contain vitamin C.
The plant was collected again in 1827 by Jules Dumont d'Urville. He found it in Queen Charlotte Sound and Astrolabe Harbour. This area is now part of Abel Tasman National Park. Later, in 1899, a botanist named Thomas Kirk officially described the plant. He named it after Sir Joseph Banks, who was a naturalist on Captain Cook's first voyage.
What Coastal Peppercress Looks Like
Coastal peppercress is a low-growing plant. It has fleshy leaves and spreads out along the ground. It looks a lot like its close relative, Cook's scurvy grass. However, coastal peppercress is usually darker in color. Its leaves also have deeper teeth or notches along their edges.
The seed pods of Lepidium banksii are much larger. They also have a deep notch at the end. Each winter, the plant dies back. Only its roots survive underground, ready to grow again in spring.
Where This Plant Lives
Lepidium banksii is a plant that loves the coast. It grows in places like boulder banks and shell banks. These are often found in estuaries, where rivers meet the sea. It used to live all along the northern South Island. This included areas from Karamea on the West Coast to Tasman and Golden Bays. It was also found in the Marlborough Sounds.
By the 1950s, this plant became very rare. A botanist named Harry Allan couldn't even find a recent sample for his book. In 1988, scientists realized that some plants found in 1961 were actually L. banksii. These were near Totoranui in Abel Tasman National Park. Field surveys then confirmed the plant was still there. It was also found in the Waimea Estuary near Nelson. This discovery was made by a DOC botanist.
Protecting This Plant
Lepidium banksii is the rarest of New Zealand's 11 Lepidium species. By 1991, only 22 plants were known to exist in the wild. In 1994, a new group of about 450 plants was found. They were in a hidden cove in Abel Tasman National Park. But sadly, wild pigs destroyed all of them soon after.
This plant is very sensitive to pests and diseases. It was also extremely hard to grow in nurseries. And it was difficult to replant successfully in the wild. Scientists tried a new method. They sowed seeds directly into soil rich with seabird droppings. This worked much better! By the mid-2000s, hundreds of plants were growing well. They were even making their own seeds.
L. banksii was almost completely gone from the wild. Its survival still depends on people growing it and planting it. These efforts help keep this special New Zealand plant from disappearing forever.
