Shepherd's purse

Description: Shepherd's purse (name after its triangular flat fruits which are purse like) (Chinese: 荠菜) is a small annual and ruderal flowering plant in the mustard family. It is native to eastern Europe and Asia minor but is naturalized and considered a common weed in many parts of the world. Shepherd's purse grow from the rosette of lobed leaves at the base. From the base emerges a stem about 0.2 to 0.5m tall, which bears a few pointed leaves which partly grasp the stem. The flowers, which appear in any month of the year, are white and small, with four petals and six stamens. They are borne in loose racemes, and produce flattened, two-chambered seed pods known as siliques, which are triangular to heart-shaped, each containing several seeds.

Locations in Campus: Pictures taken at Clark Field.

Additional pictures: