CRUCIFER^. (mustard FAMILY.) 73 



12. VESICARIA, Totiin. BLADDEn-ron. 



Pouch globular or inflated, with a broad mostly orbicular partition ; the h-'m- 

 isphcrical or convex thin valves tu-rvclcss. Seeds few or sevcr.il, flat. Corylc- 

 dons acciinihtnt. Filaments toothless. — Low herbs, pubescent or lioaiy with 

 stellate Iiairs. Flowers mostly yellow. (Name iioni vesica, a bhuhbr.) 



1. V. Sh6rtii, Torr. & Gray. Minutily hoary all over ; stems spreading 

 or deciimliout from an annual or biennial root ; leaves oblong or lanceolate with 

 a tapering base, rcpand-toothed or nearly entire; raceme at length elongated, 

 with filiform diverging pedicels ; petals light yellow ; style filiform, much longer 

 than the small globose about 4-sceded pod ; seeds marginlcss. — Kocky banks 

 ofElkhorn Creek near Lexington, Kentucky (Short), and Kentucky Kivcr near 

 Frankfort, Lc-sqticreux. May, June. 



13. CAME LIN A, Crantz. False Flax. 



Pouch obovoid or pear-shaped, pointed, turgid, flattish parallel to the broad 

 partition : valves 1-nervcd. becds numerous oblong. Cotyledons incumbent. 

 Style slender. Flowers small, yellow. (Name from x^'f""' dwarf, and \ivoi>, 

 Jlax. It has been fancied to be a sort of degenerate flax.) 



1. C. SATivA, Crantz. Annual; leaves lanceolate and arrow-shaped ; pods 

 margined, large. A weed in flax-fields, &c. (Adv. from Eu.) 



14. SUBULARIA, L. Awlwort. 



Pouch ovoid or globular, with a broad partition; the turgid valves 1-ncrvcd. 

 Seeds several. Cotyledons long and narrow, incumbcntly folded transversely, i. c. 

 the cleft extending to the radicular side of the curvature. Style none. — A 

 dwarf stemless perennial, aquatic; the tufted leaves awl-shaped (whence the» 

 name). Scape naked, few-flowered, l'-3' high. Flowers minute, white. 



1. S. aquatica, L. — Margin of lakes in Maine, iVh^u//, &c. Echo Lake, 

 Franconia, New Hampshire, Tucktrman. June, July. (Eu.) 



15. CAPSELLA, Vent. Shepherd's Pcrse. 



Pouch obcordate-triangular, flattened contrary to the narrow partition ; the 

 valves boat-shaped, wingless. Seeds numerous. Cotyledons incumbent. — 

 Annuals : flowers small, white. (Name a diminutive of cnpsiila, a jiod.) 



1. C. BfRSA-PASTORis, Mttnch. Root-leaves clustered, pinnatilid or 

 toothed ; stem-leaves arrow-shaped, sessile. — Waste places ; the commonest 

 of weeds. April -Sept. (Nat. from Eu.) 



16. THLASPI, Tourn. Penxtcress. 



Pouch orbicular, oliovate, or obcordate, flattened contrary to the narrow par- 

 tition, the midrib or keel of the boat-shaped valves extended into a wing. 

 Seeds 2-8 in each cell. Cotyledons accumbent. Petals eqiml. — Low plants, 

 with root-leaves undivided, stem-leaves arrow-shaped and clasping, and small 

 white or purj)lish flowers. (Ancient Greek name, from 6\uia, to crush, of a 

 Cress the seeds of which were bruised and used like MusUxrd.) 



