Wild Flowers East of the Rockies 141 



MUSTARD FAMILY (Cruciferae). 



A large family divided into eight tribes, thirty one 

 genera and more than a hundred species. All have 

 pungent watery juices, finely dissected compound 

 leaves and cruciform flowers, the four spreading 

 limbs of the petals forming a cross. 



TOOTHWORT; CRINKLEROOT (Dentaria diph- 



ylla). During the latter part of April or in May we 

 will find white, crosslike flowers of Toothwort often 

 growing side by side with Anemones. Its stem is 

 stout and smooth, and rises to heights of 8 to 12 inch- 

 es. At the top are the flowers arranged in a loose 

 spike, on short peduncles; they are half an inch wide, 

 have four white petals, the same number of shorter 

 sepals and numerous yellow stamens. Two 3-parted, 

 notched-edged leaves with short stems, are set op- 

 positely on the flowering stalk, above the middle; 

 other larger, similar ones are on long petioles from 

 the rootstalk. Its names are derived from the shape 

 of the root, which is crinkled and with toothlike ap- 

 pendages; it is edible and often used by country 

 folk as a relish. It is found in rich woods from N. S. 

 to Minn, and southwards. 



CUT-LEAVED TOOTHWORT (D. laciniata) is very 

 similar. The leaves are deeply cut into narrow lobes, 

 conspicuously gash-toothed. The root is deep-seated 

 and with larger tubers. This species blooms from 

 April to June in about the same range as the last. 



WHITLOW GRASS (Draba verna) (EUROPEAN) 

 has become quite common throughout our range. It 

 is a weed that we will find along roadsides, waste 

 places or barren fields. The flowers are small, and 

 the four white petals are deeply notched. The scape 

 is from 1 to 5 in. high. The leaves are all basal, 

 lance-shaped and lobed or toothed. 



