Lepidittm. CRUCIFERiE. 65 



2. Lepidiusi Virginicum, Linn. mid Pepper-grass. 



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

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

 prodr. I. p. 205 ; Bigel. ji. Bost. p. 250 ; Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. l.p. 69 ; Darli7i<^t. / Cest 

 p. 380 ; Ton: ^ Gr.fl. N. Am. \. 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. 1 10 ; Endl. gen. 4927. SBEPBERD^S-PURSE. 



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



Sihcle 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, Mcench. Common Shepherd! s-purse. 



DC. syst. 2. p. 383 ; Darlingt.Jl. Cest. p. 380 ; Torr. cf Gr.J. N. Am. \.p.\\l. Thlaspi 

 Bursa-pastoris, Linn. ; Bug. hot. t. 1485 ; Bigel.fi. 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. Aprd - September. 



3. LOMENTACE^. 



Tribe VIII. CAKILINEjE. DC. 



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

 compressed, not margined. Cotyledons jjlane, accumbent. 



15. CAKILE. Tourn. ; Endl. gen. 4899. ^^^ ^^^^^^ 



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



Silicle 2-jointcd ; 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 lobed leaves. The lower joint of the silicle often abortive. 



[Flora.] 9 



