Members of the genus Capsella, which is classified in the mustard family, are popularly known as shepherd’s purse. The common name stems from the unusual triangular, flattened seedpods characteristic of the genus that are reminiscent of simple leather purses. The small white flowers of the shepherd’s purse grow on racemes that develop from one or more stems that arise from the center of a rosette of basal leaves. The blossoms appear briefly and solely at the tip of the raceme. They are each comprised of four tiny petals and six sepals. When the flowers wane, the distinctive seedpods of the plant replace them. Each pod is comprised of two sections containing about 20 seeds apiece and extends out from the raceme on a slender pedicel.