Family: Brassicaceae (Cabbage family).
Native of the Northern Hemisphere.
Occurrence: An annual weed of waste places and gardens.
Identification:
- it is a usually branched plant to about half a metre
- the leaves in the basal rosette may be toothed or lobed, or may be smooth-edged
- it has small white flowers at the tips of the branches
- the fruit are shortly stalked and heart-shaped.
It is sometimes used in herbal medicine.
Photos:
1: Dried specimen of Shepherd’s Purse. The stem leaves of this plant are toothed. Castlemaine.
2: Garden weed. Castlemaine.
