CAPSELLA

Capsella Medik., Pflenzengatt. 185. 1792; Schulz in Engl. & Prantl, Pflanzenfam. ed. 2, 17b: 453. 1936; Shull, Amer. Jour. Bot. 10: 221-228. 1923; Fl. Pak. @eFloras.org; Fl. China@eFloras.org 8: 43; Al-Shehbaz, Fl. North Amer.7: 453-454.

Annual or biennial herbs, erect or suberect, simple or sparingly branched from below, glabrous or hairy with simple, branched and stellate hairs. Basal leaves often rosulate, pinnate to lyrate, runcinate to entire, stalked; upper leaves sessile, sinuate-dentate to entire, +/- auricled, amplexicaul. Racemes many flowered, corymbose, ebracteate, lax and elongated in fruit. Flowers small, usually white, pedicel filiform, ascending in fruit. Sepals 4, suberect, oblong, glabrous or hairy, not saccate at base of lateral sepals. Petals 4, short, white or pinkish, spathulate, apex rounded; claw distinct from blade. Stamens 6, tetradynamous; filaments not dilated at the base; anthers ovate or oblong, obtuse at apex. Median glands absent; lateral glands in pairs, 1 on each side of lateral stamen. Ovary oblong, elliptic, 22-24 ovuled, bilocular; stigma subsessile. Siliculae obtriangular or obcordate-triangular, compressed, bilocular, dehiscent, not winged, glabrous; valves broadest near the apex, reticulately veined; septum narrowly elliptic, membranous, not veined. Seeds 6-12 in each locule, small, ellipsoid, brown.

9 species

Capsella bursa-pastoris

Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik., Pflenzengatt. 1: 85. 1792; Boiss., Fl. Or. 1: 340. 1867; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 1: 159. 1875; Schulz in Engl. & Prantl, Pflanzenfam. ed. 2, 17b: 453. 1936; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2: 36. 1921 (Reprint 1980); Sharma & Kachroo, Fl. Jammu (Illustr.) 2: t. 14. 1983; Dhaliwal & Sharma, Fl. Kullu Distt. 130. 1999; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 139.2004; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Distt. 160. 2006; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 8: 43; Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org 7: 454; Fl. Pak. @eFloras.org; Thlaspi bursa-pastoris L., Sp. Pl. 647. 1753.

Annual or biennial, up to 50 cm tall, erect, simple or branched, sometimes profusely, glabrous or hairy with simple or stellate hairs. Basal leaves rosulate, very much variable ca. 10 cm x 2.5 cm, usually pinnatifid or pinnatisect, lyrate, runcinate, 5-8-jugate; lobes broadly triangular, obtuse, terminal lobe the largest, entire or sinuately toothed, glabrous or hairy, shortly petiolate. Lower and middle cauline leaves small, up to 6-1.5 cm, sessile, auricled and amplexicaul (clasping to the stem), pinnatifid or toothed; uppermost lanceolate, much smaller, subentire or minutely toothed. Flowers 2-3 mm long, ca. 2.5 mm across, white in 2-20 (-30) cm long ebracteate corymbose raceme. Pedicels 2-7 mm, up to 16 mm long in fruit, spreading. Sepals 4, 1.5-2 mm x ca. 1 mm, ovate, entire, margin membranous, glabrous or hairy. Petals 4, ca. 2.5 mm x 1 mm, obovate-oblong, cuneate, clawed, white. Stamens 6, tetradynamous, filaments ca. 1.5-2 mm long, white; anthers small, ovate, ca. 0.5 mm. Median glands absent; lateral glands in pairs, 1 on each side of lateral stamen. Ovary oblong, elliptic, bilocular, many ovule per loculus; stigma subsessile. Siliculae 3-9 mm long, 2-7 mm broad, obcordate-triangular, flattened with a distinct ridge; valves usually with straight margins; apical notch wide, V-shaped; septum prolonged beyond valves carrying persistent style and stigmas, ca. 0.5 mm long; stalk 0.5-1.2 cm long. Seeds 6-12 in each locule, 0.9- 1.1 mm x 0.4-0.6 mm, oblong-elliptic, pale brown.

Flowering and Fruiting: February to April
Common Names: Shepherd's Purse; Chambaraka (Hindi)