Lepidium. Xm. CRUCIFERiE. 161 



at margin. Flowers small, in terminal racemes, Silicles large, flat, with 

 dilated wings. The plant has a disagreeable flavor of garlic. Jime.^ 



2. T, ALLIACEUM. 



IjVS. oblong, obtuse, somewhat dentate, upper ones sagittate-amplexicaul, 

 with acute auricles ; silicles ovate-ventricose ; stig. subsessile. — In cultivated 

 fields, Western States, not common. Stems 6 — 10' high. Lower leaves petio- 

 late. Flowers smaller than in T, arvense, in terminal racemes. This also 

 savors of garlic. May — Jl. ^ 



3. T. TUBEROSUM. Nutt. 



Rt. tuberiferous and fibrous ; st. pubescent, simple, short ; Ivs. rhomboid- 

 ovate, obscurely dentate, smooth and sessile, radical ones petiolate ; silicle sub- 

 orbicular. — %. Penn. Stem not more than 4 — 5' high. Flowers rather large, 

 rose-colored. Apr. May. 



2. CAPSELLA. Vent. 



Diminutive from capsa, a chest or box ; alluding to the fruit. 



Calyx equal at base ; silicles triangular-cuneiform, obcordate, com 

 pressed laterally ; valves carinate, not winged on the back ; septum 

 sublinear; style short; seeds 00; oblong, small, 0||. — ® F Is. white. 

 A troublesome weed. 



C. BuRSA-PASToRis. MaBuch. (Thlaspi Bursa-pastoris. Limi.) Shepherd's 



purse. 



Found everywhere, in fields, pastures, and roadsides. Stem 6 — 8 — 12' high, 

 nearly smooth in the upper part, hirsute below, striate, branching. Root-leaves 

 rosulate, 2 — r» — 8' long, \ as wide, cut-lobed, on margined petioles ; segments 

 about 13. These leaves are sometimes wanting, (when the weed is crowded,) or 

 only dentate. Stem-leaves much smaller, very narrow, with two small, acute 

 auricles at base, half clasping the stem. Flowers small, in racemes, which are 

 finally 3 — 12' long Silicle smooth, triangular, emarginate at the end, and tipped 

 with the style. April — Sept. ^ 



3. LEPIDIUM. R.Br. 



Gr. XcTTtf, a scale ; from the resemblance of the silicle. 



Sepals ovate ; petals ovate, entire ; silicles oval-orbicular, emar- 

 ginate ; septum very narrow, crossing the greater diameter ; valves 

 carinate, dehiscent ; cells 1-seeded, 0|| or 0=. — Fls. white. 



1. L. ViRGiNicuM. Wild Pepper-grass. 



Lvs. linear-lanceolate, incisely serrate, smooth; s^.paniculately branched 

 above; sta. 2 — 4; silicles orbicular, emarginate; seeds 0=. — (i) In dry fields 

 and road-sides, U. S. Stem rigid, round, smooth, If high. Leaves 1 — 2' 

 by 1 — 3" , acute, tapering at base into a petiole, upper ones sessile, lower pinna- 

 tifidly cut. Flowers and silicles very numerous, in a panicle of racemes. Fls. 

 very small, mostly diandrous ; silicles lens-shaped, U" diam., with a notch at the 

 end. Taste pungent, like that of the garden pepper-grass. Jn. — Oct. 



2. L. CAMPESTRE, R. Br. (Thla.spi campestris. Lirm.) Yellmc Seed. 



Cauline lvs. sagittate, denticulate ; silicles ovate, winged, emarginate, scaly- 

 punctate. — In waste places and dry fields, especially among flax. Stem 

 strictly erect, round, minutely downy, t) — 10' high, branching. Leaves 1' long, 

 \ as wide, acute, with 2 lobes at base, upper one clasping the stem, all minutely 

 velvety. Flowers small. Silicles 1 J" long, numerous, in long racemes. Jn. Jl.'^ 



3. L. RUnERALE. 



Lvs. cauline, incised, those of the branches linear, entire; Jls. apctalous, 

 and with but 2 stamens; silicles broadly oval or suborbicular, emarginate, winii- 

 less; colid. Oil. — Dry fields, Mich., la.. Mo. Stem lO — 15' hii,'h. Raccnif- 

 many. Flowers remarkable for wanting the petals, which ^jjp always presoiu 

 in our other species. 



4. L. SATIVUM. Pcjypcrgra.'is. — />i 5 J|ariously divided and cut ; branches '^'iih- 

 out spines; silicles orbicular, wingecl — (T) Native of the East. Stems 1—31 



