380 TETRAD YX AMI A 8ILICULOSA 



I>. Septum narrow ; valves keeled, or gibbous. 

 313. CAPSELLA. Mmnch. J)C. Syst. %p. 383. 



[Uiminulive of Capeula, a capsule, or Utile box ; alluding to the fruit.] 



Calyx equal at base. Petals entire. Filaments without teeth. SiU 

 tele, laterally compressed, obcordate-cuneate ; septum sublinear ; valves 

 boat-shaped, not winged on the back; style short. Seeds numerous, 

 oblong ; cotyledons incumbent. 



1. C. Bursa pastohis, JWanch. Radical leaves pinnatiful, stem- 

 leaves lanceolate, sessile, sagittate at base. Beck, Hot. p. %5. 

 Thlaspi Bursa pastoris. It Hid. Per** Pursh, &c. &c. 



Bhep fibre's purse Capsklla. Vulgo — Shepherd's Purse. [Pastor. 



Gtf//.-Bourse do Pasteur. Germ. -Die Hirtentaschc. Hisp.-HoUa de 



Hoot annual. Stem 3 or 4 to IS inches high, striate, more or less hirsute, and 

 often branched. Radical leaves 2 or 3 to 6 or 8 Inches lone, and half an inch to I 

 or *2 inches wide, oblong, mostly pinnatiful and dentate (sometimes oblanceolatc 

 and rejwtnd-denticulatc), narrowed to a petiole at base, pilose with short stellate 

 hairs; stein-leaves linear-lanceolate, often entire, auriculate and amplexlcaul at 

 base. Racemes at first corymbose, finally elongating ; pedicels half an inch to 

 an inch long. Petals white. Silicle about 1 fourth of an inch long, deltoid, or cu- 

 neatc, truncate and emarglnate. Seeds oblong, bisulcatc on each side (or cotyle. 

 dons incumbent— "accumbent," DC), reddish brown. 



Hab. Fields, roadsides, &c common. Fl. April— September. Fr. June— Octo. 



Obs. An introduced plant; and rather a troublesome weed in cultivated 

 grounds. It is very variable, both in size and appearance ; but is readily known 

 by its fruit. It is the only species of the genus, as now established. 



314. LEPIDIIJM. L. JVutt. Gen. 554. 



[Greek, Lepis, a scale ; from the form of the silicles..] 



Calyx equal at base. Petals entire. Filaments without teeth. SiU 

 icle laterally compressed, orbicular-ovate, or oval ; septum linear-ellip- 

 tic ; valves keeled, rarely ventricose, often winged at apex and emargin- 

 ate ; cells 1 -seeded. Seeds compressed ; cotyledons incumbent, or 

 rarely accumbent. 



I. L. sativum, L. Leaves oblong, variously incised and pinnatifid ; 

 silicles elliptic-ovate, ivuiged and emarginate. DC. Prodr. 1. p. 204. 



Cultivated Lepidium. Vulgo — Pepper-grass. Tongue-grass. 



Gallice- Cresson-atenois. Germ.-Die Garten-kresse. Hi&y.-Lepidio. 



Root annual. Stem 9 to 18 inches high, angular, smooth, glaucous, corymbosely 

 branched above. Leaves Wo 3 inches long, sparingly pilose, deeply divided into 

 linear or cuntate segments, lower ones on petioles 1 to 2 inches long. Pedicels I 

 fourth to 1 third of an inch long. Petals white. Silicles with a winged margin 

 and a narrow sinus at apex ; style about as long as the margin. Seeds compres- 

 sed, bisukate on each side ( or cotyledons incumbent ), dark purple, or reddith 

 brown. 



Hab. Gardens : frequent. Fl. Jans— July. Fr. August. 



Ob*. A pleasant antiscorbutic Cress; and often cultivated for the table. 



