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Capsella bursa-pastoris

(L.) Medik. (1792)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Brassicales Family: Brassicaceae Genus: Capsella

shepherd's purse

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Annual herbs, pubescent with simple and stellate hairs. plants 0.6–3(–5) dm tall.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Primarily in a basal rosette, often with a few reduced cauline leaves. Margins of basal leaves lyrate–pinnatifid. cauline leaf margins dentate to entire. Cauline leaves sessile and clasping the stem. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in usually bractless, in terminal racemes. Flowers bisexual (perfect), actinomorphic or rarely slightly irregular, small. Calyx of 4 sepals, deciduous, erect, usually reddish at apex, 1–2 mm long, glabrous. Corolla of 4 petals, often reddish, at least on margins, scarcely exceeding the sepals, 1.5–2 mm long, usually with an elongate claw. Stamens (2–4)6(–16), tetradynamous, the inner 4 usually in pairs, sometimes connate at base in pairs; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, 2(4?)-carpellate, usually 2-celled by means of a false, but usually complete septum, rarely 1-celled, sessile or rarely stipitate; ovules 1 to numerous, borne on parietal placentas on replum margin at periphery of ovary wall, campylotropous or occasionally anatropous; style ca. 0.2 mm long.

Fruit: Silicles with concave lateral margins; often abruptly widened at summit; ca. 6–8 mm long; 5–7 mm wide at apex; apex usually deeply notched. Seeds up to 12 per cell; oblong; endosperm essentially absent.

Ploidy: 2n = 16

Habitat: Naturalized in disturbed often dry sites; especially pastures.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) Potentially naturalizing
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Pfl.-Gatt.: 85 (1792)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:402 (O, L, M, H [as C. rubella]); Wagner & Herbst 1995:17 (Syn. C. rubella = C. bursa-pastoris); Herbst & Wagner 1996:10 (Mi); Starr & Starr 2016:14 (EM, high elev record); Faccenda & Daehler 2024:34 (Mo); Munro 1740 BISH (L†, 1930)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Capsella bursa-pastoris East Maui, Puu O Malei Growing as a weed in a horse pasture. Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 2395 Maui BISH 1985-05-22
2 Capsella bursa-pastoris Mokuleia Beach, Waialua, Oahu, Hawaii Appearig after winter rains is lawn seed. Quickly and sonn sying wit dry weather. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 24016 Oahu BISH 1956-02-29
3 Capsella bursa-pastoris Hamakua Dist.; Pohakuloa Training Area, along Saddle Road Between the 30 & 45 mile markers & within 60' of road. Preserved_Specimen Funk, E.J. 62 Hawaii BISH 1990-12-13
4 Capsella bursa-pastoris East of Kilauea Iki, Hawaii In desert Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 30295 Hawaii BISH 1926-07-17
5 Capsella bursa-pastoris East Maui, Makawao District, Kanaio, Ulupalakua In open pasture Preserved_Specimen Hosaka, E.Y. 1737 Maui BISH 1937-01-23
6 Capsella bursa-pastoris Near railroad station, Makua, Oahu. T.H Locally naturalized in dryist, sandy pasture. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 18212 Oahu BISH 1932-01-31
7 Capsella bursa-pastoris Ho'olehua, Airport Loop, just outside of the terminal Mowed roadside, sunny, rather dry area Preserved_Specimen Faccenda, K. 2916 Molokai BISH 2022-12-27
8 Capsella bursa-pastoris East Maui, Haleakala National Park along roadside Preserved_Specimen Medeiros, A.C. 289 Maui BISH 1982-10-17
9 Capsella bursa-pastoris Haleakala National Park, HVC, by interpretive sign near Sliding Sands Trail head. Subalpine shrubland/grassland with Dubautia menziesii and Erodium cicutarium. Preserved_Specimen Starr, F. 140103003 Maui BISH 2014-10-30
10 Capsella bursa-pastoris Puu Laau; el. Weed growing near the hunters cabin Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 5221 Hawaii BISH 1975-01-18
11 Capsella bursa-pastoris Parker Ranch Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 8322 Hawaii BISH 1909-06-01
12 Capsella bursa-pastoris Kula, near the government wood Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 2177 Maui BISH 1920-09-09
13 Capsella bursa-pastoris Koele Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. Lanai BISH 1914-09-01
14 Capsella bursa-pastoris Koele Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. Lanai BISH
15 Capsella bursa-pastoris Koele Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 305 Lanai BISH 1913-12-30
16 Capsella bursa-pastoris Nienie, Parker Ranch Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 8322 Hawaii BISH 1909-06-01
17 Capsella bursa-pastoris Nieuie, Parker Ranch Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 8322 Hawaii BISH 1909-06-01
18 Capsella bursa-pastoris 3720 Kaimuki Avenue Preserved_Specimen Forbes, H.J. 2531 Oahu BISH 1919-01-01
19 Capsella bursa-pastoris Nieuie, Parker Ranch Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 8322 Hawaii BISH 1909-06-01
20 Capsella bursa-pastoris Koele Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 286 Lanai BISH 1918-12-30
21 Capsella bursa-pastoris Parker Ranch, Pokananka, plowed field Preserved_Specimen Ewart III, G.R. 173 Hawaii BISH 1932-04-21
22 Capsella bursa-pastoris Makahalau paddock Makahalau, Waimea, Hamakua Preserved_Specimen Hosaka, E.Y. 2185 Hawaii BISH 1938-06-02
23 Capsella bursa-pastoris Nienie, Parker Ranch Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 8322 Hawaii BISH 1909-04-01
24 Capsella bursa-pastoris Koele Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 1740 Lanai BISH 1930-12-14
25 Capsella bursa-pastoris 3720 Kaimuki Avenue Preserved_Specimen Forbes, H. 2531 Oahu BISH 1919-01-01
26 Capsella bursa-pastoris unknown Preserved_Specimen BISH
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