CRUCIFEROUS TRIBE 45 



2. Perfoliate Penny-cress {T. perfolidtum). — Pouch inversely heart- 

 shaped, and surrounded by a wing ; style shorter than the notch of the pouch; 

 seeds smooth, three or four in a cell ; stem-leaves oblong, heart-shaped at the 

 base. Plant annual. This is a much rarer plant than the last, known only 

 on limestone pastures in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. In the earlier 

 part of the century it was known to grow only among the old stone-pits about 

 Burford, in Oxfordshire ; but perhaps the botanists who sought it were too 

 eager in their desire to possess specimens of so rare a plant, and eradicated it, 

 for it cannot now be found there. This is too often the case with rare plants, 

 which are sometimes gathered with a selfish inconsideration for other botan- 

 ists ; and hence many persons are unwilling to make known the place of 

 growth of any peculiarly interesting species. The Perfoliate Penny-cress is 

 now found in great abundance in the stony valleys of the Cotswolds ; in 

 recent years it has been recorded from these habitats : Bourton, Upper 

 Slaughter, and Naunton-Seven-Springs, near Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucester- 

 shire. According to Baxter, sheep are peculiarly fond of this plant, while 

 they never touch the Whitlow-grass (Draba verna), which gro^vs in the same 

 place. He adds, that in a field, where there was one day a great quantity 

 of the Perfoliate Cress, it was, by the next, entirely cropped off by the 

 sheep which had been turned into the pasture. Even when left untouched 

 this plant is but of short duration, as it flowers at a very early period, and soon 

 runs to seed ; so that before summer heat sets in it has entirely disappeared. 

 Its foliage is of glaucous green ; and it is in bloom early in April and 

 throughout May. It is a native also of France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and 

 Greece. 



3. Alpine Penny-cress {T. alj)estre). — Pouch inversely heart-shaped, 

 abrupt, entirely surrounded by a wing ; style longer than the notch of the 

 pouch ; seeds numerous ; stem-leaves arrow-shaped at the base ; stem simple. 

 Plant perennial. This plant, which shows its small white flowers during 

 June and July, is very rare, and grows chiefly on mountainous pastures in 

 the north of England, whence it extends through Wales to Somerset. 



2. Shepherd's Purse (Capsella). 



Common Shepherd's Purse (C. bursa-pasf&ris). — Whole plant 

 more or less hairy ; stem-leaves oblong, toothed, and arrow-shaped at the 

 base ; root-leaves pinnatifi.d. Plant annual. This plant was formerly 

 included in the genus Thlaspi, but has been separated from it, because of the . 

 absence of the Avinged valves which are found in the pouches of that genus. 

 The Shepherd's Purse must be known to all, for it grows in fields, on hedge- 

 banks, on beaches, on cliff's, by the city pavement, and on the garden l^ed or 

 neglected gravel path. It varies much in size, sometimes being only two or 

 three inches high, and at others coming up on pastures in most unwelcome 

 luxuriance, and attaining the height of one or even two feet, well deserving 

 its common name of Pickpocket, by the room which it occupies on valuable 

 land. Its flowers are xcvy small and white, and groAv in little clusters, 

 blooming all the summer. Its numerous flat seed-pouches characterise the 

 plant ; and they are sufficiently like a rustic flat leather purse to have 

 obtained for it not only its English name, but the synonyms by which it 



