Texas Corydalis or Scrambled-Eggs (_Capnoides curvisiliquum_) grows in the sandy regions of the state. It is usually a more bushy plant than the preceding ones, with longer 4-angled pods.
Dutchman’s breeches (_Dicentra cucullaria_), so called because of the shape of the flower, does not come into the state. The plant in Texas which is called Dutchman’s breeches from the shape of the seed case is _Thamnosma texana_, a member of the rue family.
[Illustration: WHITLOW-GRASS PEPPERGRASS]
Annual or perennial herbs; sepals 4; petals 4, standing opposite each other in a square cross; stamens, 4 long and 2 short; fruit a special pod called a silique.
Wedge-Leaved Whitlow-Grass (_Draba cuneifolia_) is so small that it might be overlooked if it bloomed at any other time than early spring. Growing from a cluster of basal leaves, the stems are topped by the cluster of small, alyssum-like flowers. It grows throughout the Southern United States and Mexico.
Alyssum-Flowered Peppergrass (_Lepidium alyssoides_) is a low bushy perennial plant with numerous clusters of small white flowers. It grows in the western part of the state, ranging to Arizona and Colorado. Many other peppergrasses are found in the state, some with inconspicuous flowers, but all having the small, flat, roundish seed-pod which is usually notched above. The foliage and pods have an aromatic-peppery flavor. In some species the leaves are used for salad and the seeds for bird food, but the seeds from some native species have been fed to canaries with fatal results.
The mustard family is a large group well represented in Texas among the early spring flowers and includes many of our vegetables, such as mustard, cabbage, cauliflower, radish, and water-cress.
[Illustration: TANSY MUSTARD SLENDER BLADDER-POD]
Tansy Mustard (_Sophia pinnata_) grows in dry soil across the continent, blooming in Texas in March and April. The narrow pods are about half an inch long, erect or ascending. The flowers are small, the petals yellow. In the southern part of the state it is very abundant and grows 2-3 ft. high. The name was given because of medicinal properties accredited to the plant.
Slender Bladder-Pod. Cloth-of-Gold (_Lesquerella gracilis_) can be recognized by its bladder-like pods, which are responsible for its common name of pop-weed. The yellow petals are narrowed at the base and streaked with orange. The first flush of yellow on plains and prairies is usually due to the bladder-pods. There are more than 20 species in the state, most of them being very abundant. The scientific name is in honor of Leo Lesquereux, a Swiss and American botanist.