Lkpidicm. CRUCIFER.E. 65 



2. Lepidium Virginicum, Linn. Wild Pepper-grass. 



Silicles nearly orbicular, wingless, emarginate ; flowers diandrous (petals 4) ; cauline 

 leaves linear-lanceolate, incisely serrate; cotyledons accumbent. — MicJuc.jl. 2. p. 27; DC. 

 prodr. 1. p. 205 ; Bigel. jl. Bast. p. 250 ; Hook. fi. Bor.-Am. l.p.69; Darlingt. fl. Cest. 

 p. 380 ; Torr. ^ Gr.fl. N. Am. l.p. 115. 



Annual. Plant a foot or fifteen inches high, corymbosely branched above, minutely pubes- 

 cent. Leaves 1-2 inches long, the lower ones incised or even pinnatifid, nearly smooth. 

 Flowers minute, rarely triandrous. Silicles nearly two lines long, slightly emarginate ; 

 pedicels slender, spreading, 3-4 lines in length. 



Fields and road-sides : in dry soils ; common. May - September. 



14. CAPSELLA. Vent. tabl. 3. p. 110; Endl. gen. i927. SHEPHBRD'S-PURSE. 



[Name, the diminutive of capsula, a capsule or little box.] 



Silicle triangular-cuneiform ; valves boat-shaped, wingless, coriaceous ; cells small, many- 

 seeded. — Herbaceous, annual. Radical leaves in a rosulate cluster. Flowers minute, 

 white. 



1. Capsella Bursa-pastoris, Moench. Common Shep1ierd!s-purse. 



DC. syst. 2. p. 383; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 380; Torr. ^ Gr.fl. N.Am. l.p. 117. Thlaspi 

 Bursa-pastoris, Linn. ; 'Eng. hot. t. 1485 ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 250. 



Stems 6-18 inches high, erect, often several from one root, simple or sparingly branched, 

 more or less hairy. Leaves variable, sometimes entire, but usually toothed, incised or pin- 

 natifid. Pedicels filiform, much longer than the silicles. 



Fields, road-sides, etc. ; a well known weed. Introduced from Europe. April - September. 



* 3. LOMENTACEiE. 



Tribe VIII. CAKILINE^. DC. 



Silique or silicle separating transversely into several 1-celled, 1-seeded joints. Seeds usually 

 compressed, not margined. Cotyledons plane, accumbent. 



15. CAKILE. Tourn.; Endl. gen. 4899. SEA ROCKET. 



[An Arabic name of a plant, supposed to be this or some allied genus.] 



Silicle 2-jointed ; the upper joint ovate or ensiform. Seed in the upper cell erect ; in the 

 lower pendulous. — Annual, glabrous and fleshy (usually maritime) herbs, with pinnatifid 

 or lobad leaves. The lower joint of the silicle often abortive. 

 [Flora.] 9 



