CAPSELLA BURSA-PASTORIS

Family and genus:- See- CRUCIFERAE

Common Name:- Shepherd's purse

Homotypic Synonyms:- Bursa bursa-pastoris, Nasturtium bursa-pastoris,

Rodschiedia bursa-pastoris, Thlaspi bursa-pastoris, Thlaspi bursa-pastoris

subsp. pinnatifolia.

Meaning:- Capsella (L) Little-case (the fruit).

Bursa (Gr) Leathery, pouch, purse.

Pastoris (L) Growing in pastures, of shepherds.

General description:- Annual or biennial plants with a slender taproot.

Stems:-

1) One to several 5 - 35(-50) cm. Erect to ascending,sparsely hairy, especially

below, or glabrous.

Leaves:-

1) Basal, entire or pinnately-Iobed, rarely entire.

2) Cauline, sagittate- smplexicaul.

Flowers:-

1) Scentless.

2) Sepals, green, sometimes reddish or purplish, often pubescent;

3) Petals, 2-3 mm, shortly clawed, 1½-2 times as long as the sepals, white (rarely

absent).

4) Filements without appendages. Median nectaries present.

Fruit:-

1) Silicula 4-10 x 4-9 mm, usually longer than wide, scarcely attenuate at the base;

lateral margins usually straight or convex; apical lobes usually subacute.

2) Seeds up to 12 in each loculus.

Key features:-

1) Petals 2-3 mm (rarely absent).

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Cultivated and fallow fields, roadsides, wasteground. 01100(-1900) m.

Mainly Feb-June.

Distribution:- Widespread across the Mediterranean. Widespread and common on

Crete.

Flowering time:- Mainly Feb-June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton