taxonID	type	description	language	source
827926444F77CD54EAFC17F7FC8B77CC.taxon	discussion	Discussion: — Cyphocardamum and Lithodraba resemble Lepidium in having angustiseptate, dehiscent fruits with 1 - seeded locules, and they are typically pulvinate, a feature rather rare in Lepidium. However, L. nanum Watson (1871: 30) and L. ostleri Welsh & Goodrich (1980: 80) are narrowly endemic pulvinate species in the western United States (Al-Shehbaz and Gaskin, 2010). Both genera differ from Lepidium by the scapose habit with few-flowered racemes (Cyphocardamum) or solitary flowers (Lithodraba), and this “ key ” difference was used by Appel & Al-Shehbaz (2003) to separate them from Lepidium. However, both L. nanum and L. ostleri are scapose, and this single feature (scapose vs. non-scapose) alone does not justify the recognition of genera in the Brassicaceae. For example, Aphragmus Andrzejowski ex Candolle (1824: 209) has species with well-developed racemes and others with solitary flowers from a basal rosette. Furthermore, most species of Leavenworthia Torrey (1837: 87) produce solitary flowers and / or well-developed racemes on the same plant (see Rollins, 1963). Hedge (1968) considered Cyphocardamum to be closely related to Stroganowia Karelin & Kirilow (1841: 386), but it is generally agreed that the latter genus is indistinguishable from Lepidium and was united with it nearly two decades ago (Al-Shehbaz et al., 2002). Although some pulvinate plants in the family produce numerous flowers, none comes even close to those of L. mendocinense in which a single plant may have more than 4,000 flowers (Figure 1). In conclusion, the recognition of Cyphocardamum and Lithodraba as distinct from Lepidium is not supported by molecular data or by a single feature that consistently separates them from the last genus.	en	Al-Shehbaz, Ihsan A. (2021): The Afghan Cyphocardamum and Argentinean Lithodraba are united with Lepidium (Brassicaceae). Phytotaxa 516 (1): 111, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.516.1.10, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.516.1.10
