By Thomas Bruges Flower ; Esq. 



355 



Capsella, (Tent.) Shepherd's Purse. 

 Linn. CI. xv. Ord. i. 

 Name. A corruption of Capsula, (Lat.) a capsule, which is a 

 diminutive of capsa, a case. 



1. C. Bursa Pastoris, (D.O.) common Shepherd's Purse, Bursa 

 signifying a purse, Pastoris, of a Shepherd, referring to the form 

 of the seed vessel. Engl. Bot, t. 1485. Reich. Icones. Thlaspi, 

 (Smith.) 



Locality. Waste and cultivated ground, abundant. A. Fl. March, 

 October. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5, 



General in all the Districts. This plant is a native of almost every 

 part of the world, and begins to flower long before it has attained 

 its full size, the flowers at first forming a corymb, which after- 

 wards becomes a long spike-like raceme. The stem also, at first 

 simple, in time becomes branched, the first branches issuing from 

 its upper part. 



March and April are the months in which it is most generally 

 found in flower, yet like the Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) and Boa 

 annua it may be found in this state at almost any time of the year. 

 The radical leaves differ so exceedingly in their appearance, that 

 the most expert botanist is often obliged to have recourse to its 

 most striking character, the shape of its seed vessels, before he can 

 with certainty distinguish it. When it grows on walls and in dry 

 situations, the root-leaves are more deeply divided and the seg- 

 ments become much narrower, in cultivated ground they are broader 

 and less jagged, and in dry barren chalk the leaves are all entire. 

 It is a strong instance of the influence of soil and situation, some- 

 times not being more than two or three inches high when it flowers 

 and perfects its seeds, whilst in other situations it attains the height 

 of as many feet. A small white parasitio fungus, TJredo Candida, 

 Grev. Scot. Crypt. Fl. t. 251, and Book. Br. Fl. vol. ii. pt. ii. p. 

 384, is frequently met with on this plant. Another minute white 

 fungus, Botrytis parasitica, Hook. Br. Fl. vol. ii. pt. ii. p. 343, is 

 also common on this plant, being parasitic on those parts of it which 

 are attacked by the TJredo. 



