Shepherd's Purse

At a glance

Origin / distribution: Poland, Italy, China, US, Turkey, Spain, Chinese, Iraq

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Antiseptic, Astringent, Cancer, Cardiotonic

Science studied: ADONITOL, P-AMINOBENZOSULFONIC-ACID, ARABINOSE, ASCORBIC-ACID

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Brassicaceae

Scientific name: Capsella bursa-pastoris

Common names: Shepherd's Purse, Adi quşəppəyi, Almindelig hyrdetaske, An Sporan, Artzain-zaku, Blodnejlika, Bolsa del pastor, Bolsita del pastor, Borsa del pastore, Borsa di pastore, Borsapastore comune, Bosses de pastor, Bourse à pasteur, Bourse-éd-bérqhé, Capselle bourse a pasteur

POWO: 30092589-2 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in Elsewhere, Poland, Italy, China, US, Turkey, Spain, Chinese and 1 additional place.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Antiseptic
• Astringent
• Cancer
• Cardiotonic
• Chyluria
• Contraceptive
• Diarrhea
• Diuretic

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• Elsewhere
• Poland
• Italy
• China
• US
• Turkey
• Spain
• Chinese
• Iraq

Documented cultural uses

• Antiseptic
• Astringent
• Cancer
• Cardiotonic
• Chyluria
• Contraceptive
• Diarrhea
• Diuretic
• Dysentery
• Dysmenorrhea
• Dysuria
• Edema

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Antiseptic · Elsewhere · "
• Astringent · Elsewhere · "
• Cancer · Poland · "
• Cancer · Italy · "
• Cancer · Elsewhere · "
• Cardiotonic · Elsewhere · "
• Chyluria · China · "
• Contraceptive · Elsewhere · "
• Diarrhea · US · "
• Diuretic · Turkey · "
• Diuretic · Elsewhere · "
• Diuretic · China · "
• Diuretic · US · "
• Dysentery · China · "
• Dysmenorrhea · Spain · "
• Dysuria · China · "
• Edema · China · "
• Emmenagogue · US · "
• Eye · China · "
• Eye · Chinese · "
• Febrifuge · Elsewhere · "
• Flux · China · "
• Head · Elsewhere · "
• Hematemesis · China · "

40 additional documented entries remain in the source record.

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• The myxospermous seeds of shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa pastoris L. Medik.): mucilage expansion, morphology, and ecosystem service potential as a seedbank component. · 2026 source ↗
• Local Genetic Signatures of a Global Weed: Population Structure and Ecological Drivers of <i>Capsella bursa-pastoris</i> Diversity in the Korean Peninsula. · 2026 source ↗
• Introgression across ploidies contributes to genetic diversity in introduced urban <i>Capsella bursa-pastoris</i> · 2026 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• ADONITOL
• P-AMINOBENZOSULFONIC-ACID
• ARABINOSE
• ASCORBIC-ACID
• ASH
• BURSIC-ACID
• BURSINE
• CALCIUM
• CITRIC-ACID
• DIOSMETIN
• FAT
• FUMARIC-ACID
• GLUCONAPIN
• GLUTAMIC-ACID
• HYSSOPIN
• IRON

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

checking published revisions…