336 



THE KINDS OF PLANTS 



460. Alyssum 

 maritimum. 



8. ALtSSUM. Alyssum. 



Small plants, mostly trailing, with entire and small leaves: pod small, 

 orbicular, one or two seeds in each locule: flowers in elongating racemes. 



A. maritimum, Linn. Sweet alyssum of the gardens 

 (from Europe). Fig. 460. Annual, producing a profu- 

 sion of small white, fragrant flowers, 



9. CAPSELLA. Shepherd's Purse. 

 Low short-lived annuals, with very small white 



flowers in racemes: pod obcordate or inversely triangu- 

 lar, the partition running across the narrow diameter, 

 containing several seeds. 



C. Biirsa-pastdris, Moench. Common shepherd's 

 V/^c5t^l<i^^ ;j((r.se. Fig. 259. One of the commonest little weeds: 

 ^^-~^)^^ ^ root leaves pinnatiftd or strong-toothed, in a rosette, the 



stem leaves arrow-shaped. Europe. 



10. LEPlDIUM. Pepper Grass. 

 Small stifiish annuals (or biennials ) , which shed their 



leaves late in the season: flowers very small, white or greenish, in elongat- 

 ing racemes: pod small and roundish, the partition running across the 

 narrow diameter. Plant peppery to the taste. 



L. Virginicum, Linn. Common pepper grass. About 1 ft. high, much 

 branched, glabrous: leaves linear to lanceolate, tapering to the base, the 

 lower mostly pinnatifld. Common weed; often fed to canary birds. 



IL IBfiRIS. Candytuft. Fig. 178. 



Herbs with white or purple flowers in flat or elongated clusters: 2 outer 

 petals larger than 2 inner: silicles flattened, truncate, cells 1-seeded. 

 Cultivated. 



I. umbellElta, Linn. Annual, 1 ft. or more: lower leaves lanceolate, the 

 upper linear and entire: flowers mostly purple or lilac in flat clusters: 

 silicles, acutely 2-lobed. June and July. 



I. corond,ria, Don. Jiocket candytuft. Leaves somewhat toothed; flowers 

 white in spike-like racemes. 



12. RAPHANUS. Radish. 



Annual or biennial herbs, with lyrate, pinnately-lobed root leaves: 

 flowers rather showy in long racemes: calyx erect: petals clawed: style long 

 and slender: pod linear, indehiscent, constricted between the seeds, pithy: 

 seeds spherical. Europe. 



R. Raphanistrum, Linn. White charlock. A weed, common in the 

 East: tap-root slender: petals yellow, fading to white or purplish: pod 4- to 

 10-seeded, long-beaked, constricted between seeds when dry. 



R. sativus, Linn. Garden radish. Flowers pink or white: root fleshy, 

 spindle- or turnip-shaped, red or white: silique 2-3-aeeded, short and 

 pointed, with fleshy partitions between seeds: seeds round and blackish. 



