MUSTARD FAMILY. Cruciferie. 



visited by the smaller bees, and Syrphid flies ; the pistil 

 much exceeding the stamens in length, adapts the 

 flower to cross-fertilization. The pod is J inch long, 

 four-sided, and lies close to the stem ; the seeds are 

 black-brown. 2-5 feet high. Naturalized from Europe, 

 and extending throughout our range. 

 White Mustard A similar but rarer species, more or less 

 Brassica alba hairy, with bristly pods, contracted be- 

 Yellow tween the seeds ; these are light yellow- 



June-August brown The flowers are a httle largen 



1-2 feet high. In fields and on roadsides, escaped from 

 gardens ; naturalized from Europe. Both of these last 

 species introduced into Neb. 



Shepherd's A very common weed on roadsides near 



Purse dwellings, and on waste ground, with 



partorte BUrSa ~ i[ny Whlte flowers The Latin name is 

 White literally a shepherd's little purse, in allti- 



April-Septem= sion to the shape of the tiny seed-pods. 

 ber The root-leaves are deeply cut, and form a 



rosette, the stem-leaves are small, lance-shaped, and 

 indistinctly toothed. 8-18 inches high. Naturalized 

 from Europe, and distributed throughout our range. 

 Wild Pepper- A somewhat similar species, but more 

 grass branched, remarkable for its peppery- 



L ^u Vir ~ tastin S seed -P ds wm 'ch cluster thickly 

 \Vhite about the flowering stems in a cylindrical 



May-Septem- curving column beneath the few terminat- 

 b er ing white flowers. Basal leaves obovate 



(tapering to a stemlike base) with a few small lateral 

 divisions, stem-leaves small and lance-shaped ; all 

 toothed. 6-15 inches high. Common on roadsides 

 everywhere. 



174 



