Thlaspi Bursa 
pastoris. Shepherd’s 
Purse. 
THLASPI hinnai Gen. Pl. Tetradynamia Siliculosa. 
Silicula emarginata, obcordata, polyfperma : valvulis navicularibus, margi- 
nato-carinatis. 
Raii Syn. Gen 21. Herba: tetrapetala: siliquosa: et siliculosa:. 
THLASPI Burfa paforis filiculis cbcordatis, foliis radicalibus pinnatifidis. Linnai Syfi. Vegetab. p. 491. 
Spec. Pl. 903. FI. Suecic. 227. 
NASTURTIUM filiquis triangularibus, Haller hifi. v. 1. p. 221 
PASTORIA BURSA Fufchii icon. 61 1. 
BURSA PASTORIS major folio finuato. Bauhin Pin. 108. Gerard emac. 276. Parkinfoni Fheat. 866. 
Raii Syn. 306. Hudfon. FI. Angi. 247. Scopoli. FI. Carniol. v. 2. 17. 
RADIX annua, fibrofa, albida. 
CAULIS pedalis, eredtus, ramofus, teres, fubafper. 
FOLIA radicalia hirfutula, pinnatifida, laciniis quoad 
formam mire variantibus, caulina amplexicaulia, 
dentata. 
PEDUNCULI uniflori, demum fere horizontales. 
CALYX: Perianthium tetraphyllum, foliolis ovatis, 
concavis, fubpilofis, margine membranaceis, 
fig. X. 
COROLLA: Petala quatuor alba, calyce paulo lon- 
giora, apice rotundata, fg. 2. 
STAMINA: Filamenta fex, alba, quorum quatuor 
longitudine Styli, duo breviora incurvata ; An- 
thera: flavas, fg. 3. 
PISTILLUM : Germen oblongo-cordatum ; Stylus 
breviflimus ; Stigma villofum, fg. 4. 
PERICARPIUM : Silicula laevis, obcordata, bivalvis, 
fg- 5- 
SEMINA plurima, pedicellata, flayefcentia, margini 
Diflepimenti affixa, fg. 6. 
PISSEPIMENTUM qtrinque acutum Valvis contrari- 
um. 
’ ROOT annual, fibrous and whitiffi. 
STALK about a foot high, upright, branched, round, 
a little prickly. 
LEAVES : radical leaves flightly hirfute, pinnatifid, 
the lacinias or jags varying exceedingly in 
their form ; the upper leaves embracing the 
flalk, and indented at the edges. 
PEDUNCLES, fupporting one flower on each, nearly 
horizontal when the flowers are gone off. 
CALYX - - a Perianthium of four leaves, the leaves 
oval, hollow, flightly hairy, and membranous 
at the edges, fg. 1 . 
COROLLA: four white Petals, a little longer than 
the Calyx, round at top, fg. 2. 
STAMINA : fix white Filaments, four of which 
are of the fame length as the Style ; two 
are fhorter and bent a little inwards : An- 
thera: yellow, fig. 3. 
PISTILLUM :Germen of an oblong heart-lhap c;Style 
very fhort ; Stigma villous, fig. 4. 
SEED-VESSEL; a fhort fmooth pod, triangular or 
heart-Jhaped , with two valves, fig. 6. 
SEEDS numerous, of a yellowifh colour, Handing on 
little foot-ftalks, which connedts them to the 
edge of the Diflepimentum or Partition, fg. 6. 
PARTITION pointed at both ends, placed crofs-ways 
to the Valves. 
THE radical leaves of this plant differ fo exceedingly in their appearance, that the mofl expert Botanifl is 
often obliged to have recourle to its mofl: ftriking charadter, the fhape of its Seed-veflels, before he can with 
certainty diftiqguifh it. When it grows on walls and in dry fituations, the leaves are more deeply divided, and 
the Laciniae become much narrower ; in cultivated ground they are broader and lefs jagged : It differs likewife 
no lefs with repect tp its fize, fometimes being not more than two or three inches high, and at other times 
as many feet. 
March and April are the months in which it is found mofl: generally in bloflom, yet like the Groundfel and 
Poa annua , it may be found in this ftate at almoft any time of the year, 
It acquires its name of Shepherd’s Pouch or Purfe , from the particular fhape of its pods, by which it is ob- 
vioufly diftiriguifhed from all our other Tetradynamous plants. 
The plant is colledted and given to fmall birds, who appear to be very fond of the feeds, and this is the 
only ufe to which we at prefent know of its being appliedv 
