Is it Barbarea intermedia ?

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SK660 20 JUL-2017:ID : 6 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (9)

Location: Kagbeni, Mustang, Nepal

Date: 9 April 2017

Altitude: 10000 ft.

No flowers yet !

Asteraceae member?

Pl. try to check comparative images at ‎Cichorieae under Asteraceae.

May not be Asteraceae… Good chances of this being from Brassicaceae..!!

Pl. check comparative images at Brassicaceae

Barbarea intermedia Boreau ??

Maybe. Can not confirm. Pl. check GBIF specimens.

Thank you … ! I have found only this species having distribution in Nepal. If it is Barbarea sp. it should be the same sp. otherwise some other genus !

Sisymbrium irio L.

https://www.gbif.org/species/3046851
https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/sisymbrium/irio/.

http://plantdatabase.kath.gov.np/plants/sisymbrium-irio-l-kath111030

Thank you.

Isn’t the elevation too high for this species? :
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=110&taxon_id=200009679

I think images at GBIF of Barbarea intermedia are more closer (see the central portion of the rosette):

https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/4459287256
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/5109481151

Elevation range is 1200-4100m.
2 attachments

Barbarea verna (Mill.) Asch.: 9 very high res. images.

Location: Gyaneswor, Kathmandu, Nepal

Date: 23 April, 2026

Altitude: 1400 m.

Habitat : Cultivated

Why not Barbarea intermedia ?

No idea

Google AI search gives the following:
Barbarea intermedia (Medium-flowered winter-cress) and Barbarea verna (Early winter-cress / American cress) are closely related biennial herbs in the mustard family (Brassicaceae). While both are grown for their edible, peppery leaves, they differ distinctly in their flower size, leaf structure, and seed pods. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Key Differences

Feature [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]	Barbarea intermedia	Barbarea verna
Common Name	Medium-flowered Winter-cress	American cress, Land cress, Early winter-cress
Petal Size	4–6 mm long	6–9 mm long
Basal Leaves	4–7 pairs of lateral lobes; narrower terminal lobe	More numerous, rounded lobes (looks more like dandelion)
Upper Leaves	Pinnately lobed deeply (more than halfway to the midrib)	Simple, toothed, or lobed less than halfway to the midrib
Seed Pods (Siliquas)	Shorter (1.5–3.5 cm), pressed close to the stem	Longer (3.5–7 cm), curved upwards and held away from the stem
Style Length	Stout, 0.6–2 mm long	Thin, 2–3.5 mm long

Overview of Each Species

Barbarea intermedia: Native to Europe and North Africa, this plant generally features smaller blossoms and is characterized by deeply divided upper bracts. It is primarily foraged or utilized in localized botanical settings. [1, 2, 3]
Barbarea verna: Highly valued as an herb, American cress is used in salads and cooked greens. It has larger flowers, a more sprawling growth habit, and significantly longer, curved seed pods compared to its cousin. [1, 2, 3]

Now you can decide based on these.

Google AI search on ‘Barbarea verna + Nepal’ says:
Barbarea verna (often called land cress or American cress) is a cool-season biennial leafy green. In Nepal, this specific variety is generally not wild, but its close relative Barbarea intermedia (Medium Winter-cress) is native and well-documented as Khole Sag

EFN says elevation range 3000 m. above.

And Nepal Plant database herbarium has all sps. above 3000m.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=http://plantdatabase.kath.gov.np/&ved=2ahUKEwjV8bz0yJqVAxWScGwGHcVlMt4QFnoECBgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2cBsgOeD9XJYsTS2ddAYqD

Thank you.

But it was cultivated.

I guess it was mixed up with other seeds from the UK which I have brought, and the elevation looks matching.

Updated on August 21, 2026

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