CRUCIFER^E. (MUSTARD FAMILY.) 73 



12. VESICARIA, Tourn. Bladder-fod. 



Pouch globular or inflated, with a broad mostly orbicular partition ; the hem- 

 isnherical or convex thin valves nerveless. Seeds few or several, flat. Cotyle- 

 dons accumbent. Filaments toothless. — Low herbs, pubescent or hoary with 

 stellate hairs. Flowers mostly yellow. (Name from vesica, a bladder.) 



1. V. Shortii, Torr. & Gray. Minutely hoary all over ; stems spreading 

 or decumbent from an annual or biennial root ; leaves oblong or lanceolate with 

 a tapering base, repand-toothed or nearly entire; raceme at length elongated, 

 with filiform diverging pedicels ; petals light yellow ; style filiform, much longer 

 than the small globose about 4-seeded pod; seeds marginless. — Rocky banks 

 of Elkhorn Creek near Lexington, Kentucky (Short), and Kentucky River near 

 Frankfort, Lesquereux. May, June. 



13. CAMELINA, Crantz. False Flax. 



Pouch obovoid or pear-shaped, pointed, turgid, flatfish parallel to the broad 

 partition : valves 1 -nerved. Seeds numerous oblong. Cotyledons incumbent. 

 Style slender. Flowers small, yellow. (Name from x a ^ aL i dwarf, and \Lvov, 

 flax. It has been fancied to be a sort of degenerate flax.) 



1. C. sativa, Crantz. Annual; leaves lanceolate and arrow-shaped ; pods 

 margined, large. A weed in flax-fields, &c. (Adv. from Eu.) 



14. SUBULARIA, L. Awlwort. 



Pouch ovoid or globular, with a broad partition ; the turgid valves 1-nerved. 

 Seeds several. Cotyledons long and narrow, incumbently folded transversely, i. e. 

 the cleft extending to the radicular side of the curvature. Style none. — A 

 dwarf stemless perennial, aquatic; the tufted leaves* awl-shaped (whence the 

 name). Scape naked, few-flowered, l'-3' high. Flowers minute, white. 



1. S. aquatica, L. — Margin of lakes in Maine, Nuttall, &c. Echo Lake, 

 Franconia, New Hampshire, Tuckerman. June, July. (Eu.) 



15. CAPSELLA, Vent. Shepherd's Purse. 



Pouch obcordate-triangular, flattened contrary to the narrow partition ; the 

 valves boat-shaped, wingless. Seeds numerous. Cotyledons incumbent. — 

 Annuals : flowers small, white. (Name a diminutive of capsula, a pod.) 



1. C. Bursa-past6ris, Mcench. Root-leaves clustered, pinnatifid or 

 toothed ; stem-leaves arrow-shaped, sessile. — Waste places ; the commonest 

 of weeds. April- Sept. (Nat. from Eu.) 



16. THLASPI, Tourn. Pennycress. 



Pouch orbicular, obovate, or obcordate, flattened contrary to the narrow par- 

 tition, the midrib or keel of the boat-shaped valves extended into a wing. 

 Seeds 2 - 8 in each cell. Cotyledons accumbent. Petals equal. — Low plants, 

 with root-leaves undivided, stem-leaves arrow-shaped and clasping, and small 

 white or purplish flowers. (Ancient Greek name, from 6\dco, to crush, of a 

 Cress the seeds of which were bruised and used like Mustard.) 

 GM— 4 



