MUSTARD FAMILY 



CRUCIFERAE 



SHEPHERD'S PURSE 



Capsella Bursa-pastoris (L. ) Medic. 



The Shepherd's Purse is one of our commonest flowering 

 plants, probably second in this respect only to the Dandelion. 

 It is a native of Europe but is now widely distributed over 



nearly all parts of the earth 

 inhabited by man. In Illinois 

 it is common everywhere along 

 roads and streets and about 

 dwellings, as well as in fields 

 and waste places. 



This annual starts early 

 and blooms throughout the 

 season from April to late 

 autumn. The branching stem 

 grows 6-20 inches high from a 

 long deep root. It is usually 

 hairy near the base but smooth 

 above. The basal leaves, 

 2-5 inches long, are more or 

 less lobed and form a large 

 rosette. The stem leaves are 

 relatively few and often nearly 

 entire, but usually with earlike 

 appendages at the b^se. 



Flowers are white and have 

 the usual structure for the 

 family: 4 sepals, 4 petals, 6 

 stamens with 2 shorter, and i 

 pistil. The triangular or purse- 

 shaped pods have 2 cells con- 

 taining 10-12 seeds each. The 

 seeds have no special means 

 of dissemination but since 50,000 of them are not uncommonly 

 produced by a single plant there is great probability that some 

 will be widely scattered. 



Because these plants are extremely variable in size, foliage, 

 inflorescence and shape of the pod, many species have been 

 proposed in place of this single name. Sixty-three subdivisions 

 have been suggested by one investigator alone. 



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