154 CRUCIFERAE. {Vo1. Il. 
1. Berteroa incana (L.) DC. Hoary 
Alyssum. (Fig. 1789.) 
Alyssum incanum I,. Sp. Pl. 650. 1753. 
Berteroa incana DC. Syst. 2: 291. 1821. 
Erect or ascending, 1°-2° high, hoary-pubescent, 
branching above. Leaves lanceolate or oblong, 4/- 
114’ long, obtuse, entire or slightly undulate, the lower 
narrowed into a petiole; flowers white, 1//-1}4’’ broad; 
pedicels ascending, 2’’-3’’ long in fruit; pod pubescent, 
oblong, 3/’-4’’ long and about half as broad; cells 
several-seeded; style 1/’-114’’ long; stigma minute. 
In waste places, Maine to Massachusetts, New Jersey 
and Missouri. Adventive or naturalized from Europe, 
becoming abundant. Racemes elongating, the flowers and 
pods very numerous. June-Sept. 
37- HESPERIS L. Sp. Pl. 663. 1753. 
Erect perennial or biennial herbs, pubescent with forked hairs, with simple leaves and 
large racemose purple or white flowers. Stigma with 2erectlobes. Siliques elongated, nearly 
cylindric, the valves keeled, dehiscent, I-nerved. Seeds in 1 row in each cell, globose, wing- 
less; cotyledons incumbent. [Name from Hesperus, evening, when the flowers are most 
fragrant. ] 
About 20 species, natives of Europe and Asia. 
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1. Hesperis matronalis L. Dame’s 
Rocket or Dame’s Violet. 
(Fig. 1790.) 
Hesperis matronalis \,. Sp. Pl. 663. 1753- 
Erect, simple or sparingly branched above, 2°- 
3° high, pubescent. Lower leaves 3/8’ long, 
tapering into a petiole, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 
acute, dentate with minute teeth, pubescent on 
YY YY 4 both sides; upper leaves similar but smaller, ses- 
| WY / Per, sile or short-petioled; flowers 8//-12’’ broad, 
Af 4 Sn pink, purple or white, fragrant; blade of the 
petals widely spreading, about as long as the 
claw; pods 2/-4’ long, spreading or ascending, 
contracted between the seeds when ripe. 
iy 
/ 
In fields and along roadsides, escaped from gar- 
dens, Massachusetts to Pennsylvania and Iowa. 
Native of Europe and Asia. May-Aug. Old Eng- 
lish names are Queen’s or Dame’s Gilliflower; 
Night-scented, Rogue’s or Winter Gilliflower; 
Damask Violet. 
Family 33. CAPPARIDACEAE Lindl. Nat. Syst. Ed. 2,61. 1836. 
CAPER FAMILY. 
Herbs or shrubs (rarely trees), with a watery sap, alternate or very rarely 
opposite, simple or palmately compound leaves and axillary or terminal, solitary 
or racemose, regular or irregular, mostly perfect flowers. Sepals 4-8. Petals 
4 (rarely none), sessile or clawed. Receptacle elongated or short. Stamens 
6-, not tetradynamous, inserted on the receptacle; anthers oblong. Ovary 
sessile or stipitate; style generally short; ovules ~, borne on parietal placentae. 
Fruit a capsule or berry. Seeds mainly reniform in our species; endosperm 
none; embryo generally coiled. 
A family of about 35 genera and 400 species, mostly of warm regions. 
