Capsella bursa-pastoris aka Shepherd's Purse

Capsella bursa-pastoris, also known as shepherd's purse due to its purse-like, triangular flat fruits, is a slender, erect annual to short-lived perennial plant in the mustard family. It is native to eastern Europe and Asia minor but is now naturalized and considered a common weed in many parts of the world, particularly in colder climates. This plant is the second-most prolific wild plant in the world and is commonly found on cultivated ground, waysides, and meadows. Scientists have called Capsella bursa-pastoris a 'protocarnivore' because its seeds attract and kill nematodes to locally enrich the soil. Shepherd's purse is often harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is also extensively cultivated in some areas of the world as a cabbage-flavored spring green. Capsella bursa-pastoris is a common winter annual garden weed that usually grows from 15-70cm tall. Winter annuals bloom from spring to mid-summer, while summer annuals flower from mid-summer to fall. The flowers are followed by flat, heart-shaped seedpods that resemble the leather purse of shepherds during the Middle Ages. In Japan, Capsella bursa-pastoris is one of the essential ingredients of a ceremonial rice and barley gruel that is eaten on January 7th. Additionally, deer eat the leaves and stalks of shepherd's purse, and the seeds that are eaten pass through the digestive tract and remain viable.