Capsella Medicus

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1964, Flora Europaea - Volume 1. Lycopodiaceae to Platanaceae, Cambridge University Press : 316

68. Capsella Medicus 1

Annual or biennial; glabrous or with unbranched hairs. Basal leaves entire or pinnatifid; cauline sagittate-amplexicaul. Inflorescence racemose, ebracteate. Sepals erect, not saccate; petals white, pink or yellowish; stamens without appendages. Fruit an angustiseptate silicula, usually triangular-obcordate; valves keeled, reticulately veined. Style distinct; stigma minute, capitate. Seeds up to 12 in each loculus.

This account treats as species the five taxa most readily recognized in Europe. Within them there is extreme polymorphy; autogamy is frequent, and all are ruderals. 1 is especially polymorphic , and its variants incorporate many of the characters of the other four species, particularly as regards the shape and size of the silicula.

Literature: E. Almquist, Acta Horti Berg. 7: 41-95 (1921), G. H. Schull, Amer. Jour. Bot. 10: 221-8 (1923). 1 Petals notor scarcely exceeding sepals; petalsand sepals usually reddish-tinged 2. rubella 1 Petals usually distinctly exceeding sepals; petals white or yellowish; sepals green 2 Petalspaleyellowish; lower partof plant denselygrey-hairy

5. orientalis 2 Petalswhite; wholeplant green, sparselyhairyor glabrous 3 Petals 4-5 mm 4. grandiflora 3 Petals 2-3 mm (rarely 0) 4 Style more than 0-5 mm 3. thracica 4 Style less than 0- 5 mm 1. bursa-pastoris