Sunday, May 3, 2009

Shepherds-Purse




This is shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris). This plant was at the entrance to Martell Forest, Tippecanoe County. April 26, 2009. Those little heart shaped things attached to the stem are the pods full of seeds. Those are supposed to resemble the purses (bursae) that shepherds of ancient times used. This is one of the plants of disturbed soil that most people call weeds. Like most weeds it's a successful r-strategist, it starts in a place nothing else is growing and puts most of its energy into producing a huge lot of seeds quickly for the next generation.

Shepherd's purse is another of the many weeds in the crucifer family. Like the rest of the crucifers they are edible. Don't care for it too much myself though, there's not much there to eat.

Link to Capsella bursa-pastoris:

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