470 CRUCIFERAE. | Capsella. 
I doubt this plant being a true native of New Zealand, and Sir J. D. Hooker has 
expressed the same opinion with regard to its supposed nativity in Australia and 
Tasmania. (See ‘‘ Flora Tasmania,” vol. i, p. 23.) The allied C. bursa pastoris Moench, 
the common “ Shepherd’s purse,” is now established as a weed in most parts of 
the Dominion. It is an erect annual, with spreading pinnatifid radical leaves and 
triangular cuneate or obcordate pods, arranged in a long lax raceme. 
6. LEPIDIUM Linn. 
Erect or spreading, glabrous or pubescent, annual or perennial herbs, 
sometimes almost shubby. Leaves entire or divided. Flowers small, 
white, ebracteate. Sepals short, equal at the base. Petals short, equal, 
sometimes wanting. Stamens often reduced to 4 or 2. Pods variable, 
oblong, ovate, obcordate, or orbicular, much compressed laterally, notched 
at the summit or entire, winged or not; septum narrow, membranous. 
Seeds 1 in each cell, suspended from the top of the septum; cotyledons 
incumbent. | 
A large genus of over 100 species, several cosmopolitan in their distribution. The 
New Zealand species are highly variable, and several are very di. cult of discrimination. 
All are endemic. 
Since the publication of the first edition of this work the whole genus has been 
ably monographed by Dr. A. Thellung, of Winterthur, Switzerland. Students will 
find much additional matter in Dr. Thellung’s memoir. 
A. Leaves undivided ; serrate, crenate, or quite entire ; never pinnate or pinnatifid. 
Stout, erect or diffuse, 12-24in. high. Leaves sharply serrate. 
Pods entire, not winged .. - A ee fs 
Slender, flexuous, suberect, 12-18in. Leaves spathulate, serrate 
above. Pods winged and notched above .. st .. 2, L. Banks. 
Slender, decumbent, 9-12in. Leaves long-petioled, crenate. 
Pods ovate, winged and notched above Fe on s% 
Stems prostrate, filiform, 2-5in. Leaves linear-spathulate, 3-1 in., 
entire. Pods ovate-orbicular, notched aa sy o. 4, 0. Kirki. 
1. L. oleraceum. 
3. L. obtusatum. 
B. Lower leaves pinnate or pinnatifid. 
* Flowers hermaphrodite. 
Procumbent, glabrous. Leaves pinnatifid, segments toothed at 
the tips. Racemes short, lateral. Pods ovate ts ..  L. flexicaule. 
Procumbent or suberect, hairy. Leaves pinnate, segments finely 
serrate on the upper edge. Racemes long, terminal. Pods 
minute, orbicular 6. L. tenuicaule. 
** Hlowers dioecious. 
Almost glabrous. Erect, leafy, 6-12 in, high, paniculately branched 
above. Pods ovate : 
. m bai sf .. 7. L. Kawarau. 
Hoary and scabrid. Erect, strict, 2-5in. high. Leaves almost all 
radical, coriaceous. Racemes short, dense. Pods ovate .. 8. L. Matau. 
Hairy. Suberect,2-5in. high. Root very longand stout. Leaves 
all radical. Racemes lax, open. Pods ovate-rhomboid .. 9. LD. sisymbrioides. 
1. L. oleraceum Forst. f. Prodr. (1786), 248.—Stout or slender, erect 
or diffuse, perfectly glabrous, 10-24 in. high. Stem branched, leafy above, 
often naked and woody below, scarred. Leaves 1-4 in. long, obovate- or 
oblong-spathulate to narrow-spathulate, narrowed into a short flat petiole, 
sharply serrate or incised ; upper smaller and narrower, more entire, toothed 
at the tip only. Flowers numerous, in terminal simple or branched racemes, 
in large specimens often corymbosely arranged at the ends of the branches. 
Stamens 4. Pods ovate or ovate-oblong, subacute, wingless, entire at the 
tip, in. long; pedicels slender, spreading.—Forst. f. Pl. Esc. (1786) 30; 
