IBERIS Linn. Gen. PI. T etradynamia Siliculosa.
Cor. irregularis, petalis 2 exterioribus majoribus. Silicula polyfperma,
emargmata.,
Raii Syn. Gen. 21. Herb.« t e t r a p e t a l .® siliquös^e et s i l i c u l o s /E.
IBERIS nudicaulis herbacea, foiiis finuatis, caule nudo fimplici. Linn. Syß. Fege tab. p. 589. Sp. PL
p. 907. Fl. Suec. n. 581. Lightfoot Scot. p. 346. Hud/on FL Angl. ed. 2. p. 2%.
IBERIS foiiis pinnatis, pinnis ovatis acutis. Hall. Hiß. n. 521.
NASTURTIUM minimum vemum foiiis tantum circa radicem. Magnol. Bot. Monfp. p. 187. cum fig.
BURSA PASTORIS minor foiiis incifis et Thal. Bauh. p. 108.
NASTURTIUM petraeum foiiis Burfas Pafioris. Bauh. p. 104.
BURSA PASTORIS minor. Ger. emac. 251. Parkinf. 806. Raii Syn. p. 303. The lefler Shepherd’s
Purfe, or Rock-Crefle.
RADIX annua, fibrofa, albida. x Ö
CAULES vix palmares ; juniores decumbentes, adul- f
tiofes. adfcendentes, demumereÊH; plerum- ?
que aphylli, interdum tarnen foiiis aliquot I
veftiti, fimplices, teretes, glabri. X
FOLIA radicalia, petiolata,' plerumque proftrata, in è
ojbem pofita, paulo ultra uncialia, lævia, \
finuato-pinnatifida, obtufa ; lobis in quibuf- V
dam oppofitis, in aliis altemis, terminali f
maximo, rotundato, caulina ubi adfunt feflilia, X
inferiora quinquefida aut trifida, fuperiora X
fimplicia, lanceolata.' \
FLORES racemofi, parvi, albi, inodori. t
PEDUNCULI femunciales, patentiffimi. X
CALYX: Perianthium tetraphyllum; foliolis lato- X
lanceolatis, concavis, æqualibus, rufefcentibus, v
deciduis, Jig. 1. ' f
COROLLA tetrapetala, inæqualis, calyce major ; P e - ï
tala obovata, duo exteriora majora, paten- I
tia, duo interiora minora, inflexa, fg . 2. X
STAMINA: Filamenta fex, fubulata, ereéla, alba, |
.quorum duo lateralia breviora; A ntheræ Ç
lubrotundæ, flavæ, Jig. g< * V
PISTILLUM : G e r m en fubrotundum, compreffum ; f
Stylus fimplex, brevis; Stigma obtufum. X
PERICARPIUM: Silicula erefta, fuborbiculata, |
emarginata, compreffa, parum concava, mar- Ç
gine acuto cin&a, bilocularis, Jig. 5. diffepi- 0
mento lanceolató; valvulis navicularibus, V
compreflis, carinatis, Jig. 6. *
SEMINA in fingulo loculo plerumque duo, fubovata, X
A- 7- - l
ROOT annual, fibrous, whitifli.
STALKS fcarcely a hand’s breadth in height, the young
ones decumbent, riling as they grow older,
finally upright, generally naked, but fome-
times fumilhed with one or more leaves,
fimple, round, and fmooth.
LEAVES next the root, Handing on footftalks, generally
fpread circularly on the ground, fome-
what more than an inch in length, fmooth,
finuated and pinnatifid, obtufe, tne lobes in
fome oppofite, in others alternate, the terminal
one very large and rounded, thofe of the
ftalk (if any) femle, the lowermoft ones divided
into five or three fegments, the upper
ones fimple and lanceolate.
FLOWERS growing in racemi, fmall, white, and
without fcent.
FLOWER-STALKS half an inch long, fpreading
wide.
CA L YX : a Perianthium o f four leaves, broad lanceolate,
concave, equal, reddilh, and deciduous,
Jig. 1.
COROLLA compofed of four petals, unequal, larger
than the calyx; Petals obovate, the two
outer ones largeft, fpreading, the two inner
ones leaft, bent in, Jig. 2.
STAMINA : fix Filaments, tapering, upright, white,
the two fide ones fliorteft; A n t h e r s round-
ifh, yellow, Jig. 3.
PISTILLUM: Gerj^en roundifh, flattened; Style
fimple, Ihort; Stigma obtufe.
SEED-VESSEL : an upright Pod, fomewhat orbicular,
.emarginate, flattened, a little concave,
furroundea with a (harp margin, compofed
of two cavities, Jig. 5. the partition lanceolate,
the valves boat-maped, flattened, keeled,
Jig- 6.
SEEDS: generally two in each cavity, fubovate,
fig • 7-
This diminutive plant occurs fparingly in the neigbourhood of London, and principally to the weftward of
it; we have found it on Hounflow-Heath, Putney, and Barnes-Common, more frequently indeed on the laß,
and generally on the edges of gravehpits, where the foil has been dry and barren, and where ufually grew
Gnaphahum montanum, A ir a flcxuofa, and Ornithopus perpußllus.
Its flowers, which come forth in May and June, are very minute, but when magnified fufficiently difiinguifh
the leading trait in its generic chara&er; they are fucceeded in July by feed-veflels rather large in proportion
to the plant. 6 r V
The fialk is not always defiitute of leaves; the more luxuriant the plant, the more it is difpofed to produce
them : M a g n o l obferves, that they are fometimes found entire on the edges.