Capsella rubella

Reuter

Red shepherd’s purse

Brassicaceae Edible: Leaves 779 iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist· cc-by-sa

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Summary

Capsella rubella, the pink shepherd's-purse, is a plant species in the genus Capsella, and a member of the mustard family. It has a very similar appearance to C. bursa-pastoris, but C. rubella has a diploid as opposed to a tetraploid genome. The species is also a very close relative of Arabidopsis thaliana. The separation of C. rubella from its closest ancestor (connecting it to C. grandiflora) is theorized to have happened around 30,000 to 50,000 years ago. Along with C. grandiflora, it is used as a model plant to study the evolution of self-incompatibility into self-compatibility in plant reproduction. The species is found mostly in the Mediterranean region.

Description

A herbaceous member of the cabbage family found in temperate regions.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

The young leaves are boiled and eaten in mixtures and omelettes.

Traditional Uses

The young leaves are boiled and eaten in mixtures and omelettes.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a temperate plant.

Where It Grows

Europe, Italy, Mediterranean, North America, Turkey, Türkiye, USA,

Notes

There are 5 Capsella species.

Synonyms

Bursa rubella (Reut.) DruceCapsella bursa-pastoris subsp. rubella (Reut.) Hobk.Capsella rubescens PersonnatCrucifera rubella (Reut.) E. H. Krause

Also Known As

Erba raparina

References (5)

Compt.-Rend. Trav. Soc. Haller. 1854:18. 1854
Elias, T.S. & Dykeman P.A., 1990, Edible Wild Plants. A North American Field guide. Sterling, New York p 81
Ertug, F, Yenen Bitkiler. Resimli Türkiye Florası -I- Flora of Turkey - Ethnobotany supplement
Tozer, F., 2007, The Uses of Wild Plants. Green Man Publishing. p 54
www.theplantlist.org