Calepina is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the mustard family (Brassicaceae). It contains a single species, Calepina irregularis, a slender annual or biennial herb. As a member of Brassicaceae, it shares the family's characteristic four-petalled flowers arranged in a cross — the feature that gives the family its older name, Cruciferae. The genus is native to a broad arc stretching from Mediterranean Europe and northwestern Africa eastward through Western Asia to Iran and Turkmenistan, and northward into the Caucasus and southern European Russia. It is also naturalised as a weed in parts of northern Europe and elsewhere beyond its native range.
Distribution
Calepina irregularis is native to Mediterranean Europe, northwestern Africa, and Western Asia extending east to Iran and Turkmenistan, with its range reaching the Caucasus and southern European Russia. It has also become naturalised as a weed in regions outside its native range.
Taxonomy Notes
Calepina is a monotypic genus — its sole species is Calepina irregularis. GBIF records it as an accepted genus within Brassicaceae with one descendant taxon.
