Flower:

Flowers are in rounded clusters at the end of stems that arise from the leaf axils, and at the top of the plant. The stems elongate as the plant matures, with flowers blooming just at the end. Individual flowers are about ¼ inch across when fully open, with 4 rounded white petals and 6 greenish yellow stamens in a ring around a short yellowish style. A plant has a few to several flowering branches, depending on the ground conditions.

Leaves:

There are both basal leaves and stem leaves. The stem leaves are widely spaced, narrowly arrowhead shaped, up to about 1 inch long and about ¼ inch wide, and stalkless. Leaf edges may be smooth or finely toothed, and are sometimes finely hairy. The 2 lobes at the leaf base vary in size.

The basal leaves are stalked, about 4 inches long, up to 1 inch wide, and deeply lobed, the lobes pointed or rounded at the tip. Stems are erect to sprawling, variously hairy, and usually branched.

Fruit:

Fruit is a distinctive flattened triangular to heart-shaped pod about ¼ inch long. Each side contains about 20 seeds.

Notes:

Shepherd's Purse is a weedy plant that invades lawns, gardens, and many other places where there is soil disturbance. The flowers of Shepherd's Purse are not very distinctive, but the seed pods make this plant easy to identify.