THLASPI PERFOLIATUM. PERFOLIATE
SHEPHERD’S PURSE.
THLASPI perfoliatum, siliculis obcordatis alatis ; stylo incluso brevissimo, foliis caulinis Cordatis sub-
dentatis glabris. Brown i n Hort. Kern.
THLASPI perfoliatum. Linn. Sp. Pi. ». 902. Huds. Angl. ed. 1. p. 246- With. Bot. Arr. ed. 4.
>ool. 3. p . 558. Smith PI. Brit. p. 685. Engl. Bot. t. 2354. Jacq. Fl. Austr. t. 337.
Roth Germ. ml. 2. p. 95. WiUd. Sp. PI. ml. 3. p. 446. Decand. Fl. Fr. ed. 3. ml. 4.
p. 710. Fl. Gall. Syn. p , 381. Pers. Syn. PI. ml. 2. ». 189- Alton Hort. Kew. ed. 2.
ml. 4. p . 81.
THLASPI alpestre. Iluds. Angl. ed. 2. p. 282.
THLASPI perfoliatum minus. Rail Syn. ». 305.
NASTURTIUM foliis imis ovatis, reliquis amplexicaulibus cordatis. Hall. Helv. n. 510.
Class a nd Ord e r . TETRAD YNAMIA SILICULOSA.
[Natural Ord er . CRUCIFERS. ** SILICULOSA, Juss. Decand. SILIQUOSA, Lirm.J
G e n . Char. Silicula compressa, emarginata, valvis navicularibus (stepius alatis), polysperma. Filamenta edeh-
tula, distincta. Calyx insertione cequalis, patens.—Brown,
Root small, annual, somewhat fusiform, fibrous, brown.
Stem erect, simple or branched, from two or three
inches to a span in height, smooth, leafy, the
branches erect or erecto-patent.
Leaves glaucous green, smooth, crenato-dentate, radical
ones collected together into a circle, ovate
petiolate, somewhat fleshy: the cauline ones alternate,
sessile, amplexicaul at the base (but not
perfoliate), ovato-cordate, obtuse, somewhat sagittate.
Flowers terminal, corymbose, at length these corymbi
are extended into Long fructiferous racemes.
The leaflets of the Calyx are erecto-patent, ovate, obtuse,
convex, without brownish-green, having the
margin white (Jig. 2).
Petals white, longer than the calyx, ovate, obtuse, entire,
unguiculate (fig. 1). ’ •
Stamens six, tetradynamous. Filaments filiform. Anthers
ovato-rotundate. Pollen minute, ovate
1 (fig- 4, 5).
Ovary (fig. 3) rotundato-ovate,. compressed. Style
short. Stigma expanded, plane.
P e r ica rp (fig. 6): A silicule obversely cordate, emar-
ginate, horizontally patent, beneath convex’ above
nearly plane, having a short included style, two-
valved; valves boat-shaped, broadly winged, many-
seeded : the dissepiment contrary to the valves
membranaceous.
Receptacle marginal, filiform, throwing out many filiform
seed-stalks.
Seeds (fig. 10, 11) five or six .in each cell, yellow-
brown, somewhat rounded, compressed above,
for the reception of the seed-stalk, eraarmnate
( f i g . l l . a ) . ' ' °
I ntegument simple, coriaceo-membranaceous.
E mbryo conduplicate, olivaceous. Cotyledons ovate,
plano-convex. Radicle bent upwards, as long as
the cotyledons, and leaning against their division
(fig. 12)-
Radix parva, annua, subfosiformis, fibrosa, fusca.
Caulis erectus, simplex vel ramosus, bi- vel triuncialis
ad spithamæam, glaber, foliosus, ramis erectis vel
erecto-patentibus.
F olia glauco-viridia, glabra, crenato-dentata, radicalia
in orbem congesta, ovata, petiolata, subcamosa :
caulina alterna, sessilia, basi amplexicaulia (sed
non perfoliata), ovato-cordata, obtusa, subsagifr-
tata.
F lores terminales, c'orymbosi, demum hi corymbi in
racemos longos fructiferos extenduntur.
Càlycis foliola erecto-patentia, ovata, obtusa, convexa,
extus fusco-viridia, margine alba (fig. 2).
P etala alba, calyce longiora, .ovata, obtusa, integra,
unguiculata (fig . I)v
Stamina sex, tetradynamia. Filamenta filiformia. An-
theræ ovato-rotundatæ. Pollen minutum, ova-
tum (fig. 4, 5).
Ovarium rotundato-oVatum, compressum. Stylus brevis.
Stigma expansum, planum (fig . 3).
P erica rpium (fig . 6) : Silicula obverse-cordata, emar- j
ginata, horizontaliter patenS, infeme convexa,
superne planiusçula, stylo incluso brevi, bivalvis;
valvis navicularibus, late alatis, polyspermis: dis-
sepimento valvis contrario, membranaceo.
Receptaculum marginale, filiforme, podosperma plura
filiformia emittens.
Sem in a (fig. 10, 11) loculo singulo quinque vel sex,
fulva, subrotundo-compressa, supeme, pro podo-
spermi receptione, emarginata (fig.' 11. a).
I ntegumentum simplex, coriaceo-membranaceum.
E mbryo conduplicatus, olivaceus. Cotyledones ovatæ,
plano-convexæ. Radicula sursu m flexa, longi-
tudine cotyledonum et earum rimoe accumbens
,,(M - i s ) . . . .
F ig .\. Petal. Fig. 2. Calycine leaflet. Fig. 3. Stamens and ovary. Fig. 4. Anther. Fig. 5. Pollen. Fi<r. 6 Silicule.
Fig. 7. The same, the valves being removed, and showing the insertion of the seeds. 8. The
valves. Fig. 9. The dissepiment. Fig. 10.. The seeds. Fig. 12. A seed removed; a. portion of the seed-stalb
Fig..l%. The embryo.
The only stations mentioned for this rare plant in the Botanist’s Guide are, Limestone pastures in the two
counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland; pastures about the ebbing and flowing well, two miles from Grisle-
wick, Yorkshire; on Burford Downs and among stone-pits between Witney and Burford, Oxfordshire: from which
latter place our specimens were kindly communicated to us in the month of June last by our friend J. E. Bicheno
Esq. Nor are we aware that it has been found in any other parts of the kingdom.
It is very nearly allied to Thlaspi alpestre, and has been mistaken for it by Hudson. Ray says o f it, “ an aliter
quam magnitudine et ratione loci difterat a majori specie?” (T. alpestre): and Willdenow observes that the plants
he has seen of Thlaspi alpestre differ only from T. perfoliatum in their undivided stems, and are probably varieties
o f it. The latter author may probably not be well acquainted with the two species, and even Ray may have confounded
them; nor should I be surprised if the Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Yorkshire habitats of T. perfoliatum
should prove to be those of T. alpestre; that station especially near the ebbing and flowing well in Yorkshire,
where I know the latter plant is abundant, as it is in other limestone countries of that county. If so Oxfordshire,
as Sir James Smith has justly observed in English Botany, is the only place where it has yet been found and
there was first detected by Bobart, according to Ray.
We-cannot, as some authors have done, lay much stress, as a specific character, upon the divided or undivided
stems of T. perfoliatum and T. alpestre. The former, which it is said should be branched, we have often seen simple •
and the latter we have not only frequently gathered branched, but it is represented so in English Botany in opposition
to the character there laid down. At all times our plant may be known by its more toothed leaves,particularly
the cauline ones; but it is especially distinguished by the shortness o f the style of the silicule, which is included
within the notch; whereas in T. alpestre it is longer, and protruded considerably beyond the sinus.
We have adopted Mr. Brown’s improved character of the genus in the last edition of Hortus Kezoensis. The
form of the filaments of the anthers and the insertion o f the calyx are introduced to distinguish this from Mr. Brown’s
new genus JEthionema (Thlaspi saxatile auctorum), in which the longer filaments are either connate or furnished
with a tooth near the apex, and the insertion of the calyx is unequal.