CRUClFER.^— MUSTARD FAMILY 



PURPLE SPRING-CRESS 



jCarddmine purpilrea. Carddmine rhomhoidea. var. purpurea 



Perennial. Rich soil in open woods and along streams 

 in ravines. Quebec to the Canadian Rockies, New Eng- 

 land, south to Maryland and west to Wisconsin. Abun- 

 dant in northern Ohio. JNIarch, April. 



Rootstock. — Bearing small tubers. 



Stems. — Erect, four to six inches high, smooth, slightly 

 hairy, bearing a terminal raceme of rose-purple flowers. 



Stem-leaves. — Ovate, rhombic, or lanceolate, toothed or 

 entire; root-leaves rounded, on long petioles, often heart- 

 shaped, sparingly toothed. 



Flowers. — Purplish pink, of the type called crucifer, 

 borne in a loose terminal raceme. 



Calyx. — Four sepals. 



Corolla. — Four purplish pink petals, opposite each other 

 in pairs forming a cross, with short claws. 



Stamens. — Six, two shorter than the other four. 



Pistil. — One; ovary two-celled, with a two-lobed style. 



Fruit. — Very slender pods, tipped with style. 



Pollinated by small bees. Nectar-bearing. 



All the Cresses belong to the Mustard family, whose 

 Latin name, CriicifercE, means cross-bearers. This by 

 no means implies martyrdom — far from it ; the crucif ers 

 are an exceedingly prosperous folk, surpassed by few 



I02 



