Tlilaspi CRUCIFERAE Coronopus 



or clasping: fls. small, white or purplish: fr. orbicular to obcordate, strongly flattened 

 at right angles to the partition, broadly ivinged, ivith several seeds in each cell. About 

 25 species, in the Old World; one in China. (Greek: thlaein, to crush or flatten.) 



1. Thlaspi arvense Linn. Field Penny Cress ff-l! (Hsi Ming) (G.M. 701). Erect 

 herb, 1-5 dm. high; fls. white, III; fr. IV-V; pods flattened, orbicular. Eurasia; 

 locally in An., Che., Ku. Moist places. Fig. 130. 



3. Iberis Linn. Candytuft [ilttM (Ch'ii Hua Shu) 



Herbs or shrubs with entire or pinnatifid lvs.: petals sometimes wanting: fr. 

 orbicular or ovate, strongly flattened at right angles to the partition, narrowly ivinged, 

 with one seed in each cell. 35 species, in the Mediterranean region; one cultivated 

 in China. (From Iberia, the ancient name of Spain.) 



1. Iberis amara Linn. Rocket Candytuft ^it (Ch'ii Hua; Bent Flower) (B.M. 441). 

 Annual; fls. white; pods flattened, orbicular. Introduced from Europe; locally 

 in Ku. Cultivated, ornamental. 



4. Lepidium Linn. Peppergrass fefr^fl (Tu Hsing Ts'ai Shu) 



Brg. herbs with numerous small white or greenish fls. in terminal racemes: 

 pubescence, when present, of simple hairs: perianth deciduous; stamens sometimes 

 only 2 or 4: petals often lacking: fr. orbicular to ovate, strongly flattened at right 

 angles to the partition; the margin not ivinged or slightly winged: seeds one in each 

 cell. About 100 species, widely distributed: 5 in China. (Greek: diminutive of lepis, 

 a scale, referring to the flat scale-like pods.) 



Key to the Species 



Petals present : seeds with narrow margin 1 . L. virginicum 



Petals none : seeds without margin 2 . L. ruderale 



1. Lepidium virginicum Linn. Poor-man's Pepper $fefr|g (Tu Hsing Ts'ai) (G.M. 

 701). Bushy herb, 1-5 dm. high; fls. greenish white, V-VI; fr. VI-VII; pods 

 flattened, orbicular. Introduced from North America, West Indies; locally in 

 Ku. Occasional weed. 



2. Lepidium ruderale Linn. (G.M. 702). Annual or biennial, to 5 dm.; fl. III-V; fr. 

 X. Introduced from Europe; locally in Ku. Occasional weed. 



5. Capsella Medic. Shepherd's Purse Hf| (Chi Shu) 



Erect annuals with numerous small white fls. in terminal racemes: fr. obcordate 

 to triangular (ours), compressed at right angles to the narrow partition, not winged; 

 seeds numerous. 4 species, in the northern hemisphere; one in China. (Latin: 

 diminutive of capsa, a box.) 



1. Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medic. W (Chi) (G.M. 704). Erect herb, 1-5 dm. 

 high; fls. white, III-IV; fr. IV-V; pods flattened, triangular. Europe; locally in 

 An., Che., Ki., Ku. Common weed; leaf rosettes gathered for food in the early 

 spring. Fig. 131. 



6. Coronopus Ludwig Wart Cress 3&JftJ^f| (Ya Chtieh Ts'ai Shu; 



Crow-foot Herb Genus) 



Diffuse rank-smelling herbs with pinnatifid lvs. and small greenish fls.: stamens 



140 



