What is "lepidium sativum"

Peppergrass \Pep"per*grass`\, n. (Bot.)

1. Any herb of the cruciferous genus Lepidium, especially the garden peppergrass, or garden cress, Lepidium sativum; -- called also pepperwort. All the species have a pungent flavor.

2. The common pillwort of Europe ( Pilularia globulifera). See Pillwort.

Cress \Cress\ (kr[e^]s), n.; pl. Cresses (kr[e^]s"[e^]z). [OE. ces, cresse, kers, kerse, AS. cresse, cerse; akin to D. kers, G. kresse, Dan. karse, Sw. krasse, and possibly also to OHG. chresan to creep.] (Bot.) A plant of various species, chiefly cruciferous. The leaves have a moderately pungent taste, and are used as a salad and antiscorbutic.

Note: The garden cress, called also peppergrass, is the Lepidium sativum; the water cress is the Nasturtium officinale. Various other plants are sometimes called cresses.

To strip the brook with mantling cresses spread.
--Goldsmith.

Bitter cress. See under Bitter.

Not worth a cress, or ``not worth a kers.'' a common old proverb, now turned into the meaningless ``not worth a curse.''
--Skeat.