Shepard's Purse (Capsella
bursa-pastoris)
Mustard Family
Annual
Shepard's purse is a
broadleaf weed named after the appearance of its seed capsule. Its capsule (Capsella)
reminded ancient growers of a shepard's (pastoris) purse (bursa) (left).
Shepard's purse is in the mustard family. It can grow as
a summer annual, but more typically is a winter annual. The seed germinates and at first
forms a rosette (left), a plant form with leaves attached at a common axis with no stems.
Below is a picture of the shepard's purse rosette as it might appear in the autumn.
In it's winter annual life cycle, it will form a stalk
with leaves and ending with flowers and capsules the following spring, as seen in the
picture left.
This is another view (left) of a shepard's purse plant
in the spring with the rosette on the ground, and the flower stalk rising above and ending
with some flowers.
The rosette leaves of several plants can be seen tangled
together left. The leaves are long, ranging from shallowly to deeply and coarsely lobed to
pinnately divided.
White, 4-petaled flowers (typical mustard flowers) can be
seen left. The triangular (heart-shaped; shepard's purse) capsules are divided into 2
sides that bear several seeds per side.
This flower stalk (left) shows the several stages of
reproduction, from green buds before flowering, white flowers, and a range of capsule
sizes in various stages of development.
This is a closer look (left) of the shepard's purse. I
wonder if shepard's still carry purses shaped like this somewhere?
This is a picture (left) of a flowering shepard's purse
plant early in the season injured by the herbicide bentazon.
Shepard's purse is a
broadleaf weed named after the appearance of its seed capsule. Its capsule (Capsella)
reminded ancient growers of a shepard's (pastoris) purse (bursa) (left).
Shepard's purse is in the mustard family. It can grow as
a summer annual, but more typically is a winter annual. The seed germinates and at first
forms a rosette (left), a plant form with leaves attached at a common axis with no stems.
Below is a picture of the shepard's purse rosette as it might appear in the autumn.
In it's winter annual life cycle, it will form a stalk
with leaves and ending with flowers and capsules the following spring, as seen in the
picture left.
This is another view (left) of a shepard's purse plant
in the spring with the rosette on the ground, and the flower stalk rising above and ending
with some flowers.
The rosette leaves of several plants can be seen tangled
together left. The leaves are long, ranging from shallowly to deeply and coarsely lobed to
pinnately divided. 
White, 4-petaled flowers (typical mustard flowers) can be
seen left. The triangular (heart-shaped; shepard's purse) capsules are divided into 2
sides that bear several seeds per side.
This flower stalk (left) shows the several stages of
reproduction, from green buds before flowering, white flowers, and a range of capsule
sizes in various stages of development.
This is a closer look (left) of the shepard's purse. I
wonder if shepard's still carry purses shaped like this somewhere?
This is a picture (left) of a flowering shepard's purse
plant early in the season injured by the herbicide bentazon.