i8o 



WEEDS OF THE FARM AND GARDEN 



white in racemes, becoming elongated in fruit; pods 

 broadly winged, notched at the apex, usually six-seeded. 

 Waste places in wheat fields in Iowa, Minnesota, and 

 northwest to Colorado and Utah. 



Large Pepper Grass (Lepidium virginicum, L.). An 

 erect annual; at first stem simple, later much branched, 

 eight inches to two feet high ; leaves 

 divided or nearly so with the mar- 

 gins deeply saw-toothed, upper en- 

 tire or with irregular, pointed teeth ; 

 flowers small, white ; pod circular or 

 oval with a little notch at the apex ; 

 seeds light brown, elongated, with 

 prominent ridge on one side ; on the 

 addition of water they become mu- 

 cilaginous ; cotyledons accumbent. 

 This species is a native of the Mis- 

 sissippi Valley, east to New Eng- 

 land, but now occurs from Ontario, 

 New England to Florida, west to 

 Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, 

 Kansas, Missouri and Texas. 



Small Pepper Grass (Lepidium 

 apetalum, Willd.). A small pungent 

 annual, eight inches to two feet high, 

 its upper leaves linear and lanceo- 



troublesome weed in late, the lower cut and divided ; flow- 

 grain fields. (Ada Hay- ers s m3i \\, petals minute or wanting, 

 greenish ; pod roundish or flattened, 



notched, two seeds in each pod or one in each cell. Very 

 common along roadsides and in timothy fields. Seeds are 

 readily scattered by the wind and because of their muci- 

 laginous properties, easily stick to animals or to clothing 

 when moist. They produce some irritation because of 

 their pungent properties and are considered as somewhat 

 poisonous. 



Fig. 114. Pennycress 

 (Thlaspi arvense), a 



