Capsella bursa-pastoris, August 10, 2021
Common & scientific name
Shepherd’s purse, Capsella bursa-pastoris
Family
Mustard, Brassicaceae
Location
Upper Lost Man berm, 11,500’
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
Named for its siliques (seed pods), which are shaped like the purses used by European sheepherders, including the Basques who ran sheep in the Roaring Fork Valley in the early 1900s. It is a non-native species, and usually grows below 10,000’—never underestimate an invasive species combined with climate change!