Capsella bursa-pastoris; The Shepherd's Purse is an introduced weedy species. The introduction though, has taken place many centuries ago; it is not a recent introduction. It is an annual herbal plant that can grow up to 40cm tall.
- It has a set of basal rosette leaves and a few leaves along the flowering stem. The basal leaves vary from palmatifid-shaped to entire-shaped. Depending on the shape of the basal leaves, the stem leaves start off as deeply intersected/dentated to entire at the base of the stem to very narrow at the top.
- As a member of the Mustard family it has 4 sepals & petals and 6 stamens. The species can however immediately be recognized by the shape of the fruits: they are heart-shaped; unlike any other Icelandic representative of the Mustard family (but be aware of Speedwell's).
- It is a weedy species growing everywhere around human settlements: gardens, roadsides, disturbed soils and often also fringing the base of building walls.
- It is a member of the Brassicaceae, previously known as the Cruciferae, the Mustard family or Cabbage family. The Icelandic name for this species is Hjartarfi.
FLORA OF ICELAND elements: Capsella bursa-pastoris, Shepherd's Purse, Hjartarfi
A brief introduction to Iceland plants
Text & Photographs by Dick Vuijk
- unless stated otherwise
Text & Photographs by Dick Vuijk
- unless stated otherwise
Other Cabbage/Mustard family members
Other Cabbage/Mustard family members